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Meduza’s Emigrant Questionnaire features Elmira Drau, a 32-year-old English teacher who left Gelendzhik for Yerevan in May 2022 after police contacted her over an antiwar comment. She says she and her husband arrived without remote jobs or a local network, relying on money from selling their car; she later developed income-generating projects and began helping stray animals and writing a book about emigration.
Meduza has published an interview with Elmira Drau, a 32-year-old English teacher who left Russia for Armenia in May 2022 after police contacted her over an antiwar comment in a local Telegram chat. Drau recounts arriving in Yerevan with her husband, no remote jobs and no local contacts, and says that after relying on money from selling their car, she built new income-generating projects.
Drau told Meduza that she and her husband had not planned to leave Russia before the invasion of Ukraine. She said they chose Armenia quickly because she did not have a foreign-travel passport and understood that Russian citizens could enter using a domestic passport. They left Gelendzhik for Yerevan in May 2022, about 10 days after she learned that someone had reported her to authorities.
According to Drau, the report followed a comment she posted in a Gelendzhik Telegram chat after members discussed a rally in support of the Russian president. She said a police officer later called her to a station, where officers questioned her about her views on the war and prepared an administrative offense report. Drau said she consulted instructions from the human rights project OVD-Info while on the way to the station. These events are described in her account to Meduza; the interview does not independently establish the authorities’ full file or the legal outcome.
The couple’s savings came from selling their car, Drau said, and neither had a remote job. She described an early cash-access problem after their Russian Mir virtual cards did not work at an ATM. At difficult points, she said, their money was enough only to feed their cat. Meduza’s introduction says Drau has since launched projects that earn income; she also helps stray animals and is writing a book about emigration.
Rebuilding Work After Leaving Russia
Drau’s account illustrates the practical strain that can follow a sudden move: limited savings, no employment lined up, payment problems and responsibility for a pet. Her story is personal testimony rather than a representative survey of Russian emigrants, but it gives readers a concrete account of how a rapid departure can affect work and daily finances.
The interview also links her decision to leave with the risk she perceived after police contacted her over an antiwar statement. Drau said she feared she might not be allowed to leave, particularly after an acquaintance was detained shortly before her departure. Her experience adds a firsthand account to Meduza’s series on Russians living abroad, while the interview does not quantify how common similar circumstances are.
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The 2022 Move to Yerevan
Drau said the move was made during the first months of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. She and her husband considered places they could reach quickly and chose Armenia, in part because of entry and stay arrangements that seemed workable to them. Her account says they did not know anyone in Yerevan and had not secured remote work before leaving.
Meduza identifies Drau as the second respondent in its Emigrant Questionnaire, a series about Russians living abroad. The outlet says the series includes both well-known and lesser-known emigrants; singer Monetochka was the first respondent. Drau’s interview combines her explanation for leaving with her description of settling in Armenia and finding ways to earn income.
“I needed to get out of Russia very quickly.”
— Elmira Drau, speaking to Meduza
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What Her Account Does Not Establish
The interview is Drau’s personal account; the material provided does not include comment from Russian police or independent documentation of the complaint, questioning or administrative case. It does not specify the final legal disposition of the matter or whether authorities continued contacting her relatives after the departure, beyond Drau’s statement that officers asked about her return.
Meduza’s introduction says Drau’s projects earn her income, but the interview material provided does not identify the projects, explain how much they bring in, or detail the couple’s current finances. It also does not state how the cat’s care was arranged during the move or provide enough information to assess whether Drau’s experience reflects broader patterns among emigrants.
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Drau’s Projects and Meduza’s Series
Drau’s next steps, as described in Meduza’s introduction, include continuing her income-generating projects, helping stray animals and writing a book about emigration. The interview does not give a publication date for the book or a timeline for its completion.
Meduza presents the questionnaire as an ongoing series about Russians living abroad. The outlet has not provided, in the supplied report, a schedule for future installments. Further details about Drau’s work and plans may emerge through her projects or later reporting.
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Key Questions
Who is Elmira Drau?
Elmira Drau is a 32-year-old English teacher who left Gelendzhik, Russia, for Yerevan, Armenia, in 2022, according to her interview with Meduza.
Why did Drau leave Russia?
Drau said someone reported her to authorities after she posted an antiwar comment in a local Telegram chat. She said police later questioned her and prepared an administrative offense report, and that she and her husband left about 10 days after she learned of the complaint.
How did she and her husband fund the move?
Drau told Meduza that their money came from selling their car. Neither had a remote job, and she described having difficulty accessing cash after arriving in Armenia.
What is Drau doing in Armenia now?
Meduza says Drau has started projects that earn income. She also helps stray animals and is writing a book about emigration; the report does not provide a completion date or financial details.
Source: rss
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