When Texas native Leo Hare relocated to Russia in late 2023 after being granted asylum, he believed he had found the perfect place to build a better life for his family. Drawn by promises of traditional Christian values and a society centred on faith and family, the father of three eagerly embraced his new home.
Hare immersed himself in Russian life, documenting his experiences for online followers while enjoying local traditions, working on farms and promoting the country as an alternative to what he viewed as a deeply divided United States. Disillusioned by political tensions, genetically modified foods and the growing influence of LGBTQ rights movements in America, he became one of the most visible Western supporters of moving to Russia.
His journey coincided with the launch of Russia’s Shared Values visa programme, often referred to as the “anti-woke” visa. Introduced by President Vladimir Putin in 2024, the initiative offers temporary residency for up to three years to citizens from 47 countries designated by Moscow as “unfriendly”. Applicants are not required to pass the usual Russian language, history or legal examinations. Instead, they must declare support for Russia’s traditional moral and spiritual values while rejecting what the Kremlin calls the “destructive neoliberal ideology” of their home countries.
The programme does not provide housing or financial assistance. Applicants must pay an administrative fee of 1,600 roubles, equivalent to around £17 or $22, and pass criminal background and medical checks. After three years, visa holders must either obtain permanent residency through additional examinations and documentation or leave the country.
Russian authorities say nearly 3,400 people had applied for the visa by the spring of 2026, although those figures have not been independently verified and there is no official data on how many applications have been approved.
The visa programme forms part of a broader Kremlin campaign to portray Russia as a defender of traditional family values in contrast to what it describes as the moral decline of the West. President Putin has repeatedly argued that Western ideologies threaten core Russian values, including marriage and family life.
An expanding network of relocation agencies and social media influencers has reinforced that message, presenting Russia as a safe and family-oriented destination. Ilja Belobragin, a managing partner at relocation company Move To Russia, said many clients tell him they no longer recognise the communities they come from and are searching for a different way of life.
Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has shaped much of the world’s perception of the country since 2022, appears to be a secondary issue for many of these migrants. Some openly support Russia’s policies, while others insist their decisions are based on cultural and social values rather than politics.
Among those assisting Westerners relocating to Russia is Philip Hutchinson, a former Conservative Party candidate from the United Kingdom who now lives in Moscow. He said he avoids political discussions about the war and insists that helping foreigners move to Russia is not a political act.
“We guide a lot of people towards the Shared Values visa because it’s the easiest way to become a full resident here right now. It’s not political helping people move to Russia,” he said.
For Hare, however, the reality of life in Russia proved far more difficult than expected. Shortly after arriving, he says his family lost five million roubles, about £52,000 or $66,000, after being defrauded by someone they trusted. The financial setback left them homeless and dramatically altered their plans.
By earlier this year, Hare was living separately from his wife in the city of Ivanovo while his older children had returned to the United States. Despite the hardships, he says he has experienced both the best and worst moments of his life in Russia.
He worked in an Orthodox monastery, lived in various types of accommodation and eventually found employment as an English tutor. He continues to speak warmly about ordinary Russians, describing them as generous and welcoming. He credits members of his church community for helping his family survive after losing their savings and recalls one woman teaching his youngest son Russian free of charge.
“My heart is just full of love for these people,” he said.
At the same time, he has become increasingly worried about the country’s economic conditions and restrictions on access to information. Reflecting on his earlier enthusiasm, Hare admitted that he now questions the role he played in encouraging others to move to Russia.
“I believed in the propaganda,” he said, adding that he once would have been the person promoting the same message.
Although he remains committed to staying in Russia because he feels it is his destiny, he says he misses the freedoms and human rights values that shaped his American upbringing.
Another British migrant, identified only as Ben, offers a similarly balanced view. He moved from Derby to Russia in 2023 after falling in love with a Russian woman he met through a language exchange website. The couple now live in Kursk, near the Ukrainian border.
Ben says his family thought he was “a bit insane” for moving to a country at war, but he praises the friendliness of Russians and says he feels safer there. However, he rejects the idea that Russia is a conservative utopia, pointing to high divorce rates, the prevalence of single-parent households and the widespread acceptance of abortion.
“Russia isn’t some utopia,” he said.
Through his YouTube channel, Ben has challenged what he sees as exaggerated portrayals of Russia by some Western influencers, arguing that certain people are pushing a particular agenda.
Nearly two years after its introduction, Russia’s Shared Values visa has not sparked the large-scale migration wave some supporters envisioned. Instead, it has enabled a relatively small number of Westerners to start new lives in the country, motivated by faith, family or the desire for a different direction, while discovering that the reality of life in Russia is often more complicated than the ideal they imagined.
