“We are happy”: a German woman with many children moved to the Belgorod region after the start of the SVO

27-year-old Miriam is from Berlin. Parents moved to Germany in the nineties under the resettlement program. Her husband Evgeny is 37 years old, was born in the Tomsk region. He ended up in Germany with his parents at the age of 14.

The Era spouses have dual citizenship. Their children had only German documents at the time of the move. Last year they received Russian citizenship.

– We arrived in Belgorod in April 2022 after the start of the SVO. The conflict with Ukraine did not scare us away. On the contrary, our decision to live in Russia only strengthened. We realized that we needed to leave Germany even faster, – Miriam began the conversation.

– Why did you prefer the Belgorod region?

– Even before the NWO, we were thinking about which region to choose. Since we planned to engage in agriculture, we settled on the Belgorod region, where the climate is good. We even got sick less. In Germany, my husband had problems with the respiratory tract, here, as if by magic. The infrastructure in the region is also decent – the villages are developed, there are roads, bus services, schools, gardens.

– How close do you live to the border with Ukraine?

– At first they rented a house between Kharkov and Belgorod. It was loud and annoying. But we knew that our air defense was working. At that time, strong arrivals were not yet observed.

Then we moved to the Borisovsky district, about 20 km from the border, but quite far from Kharkov. It’s calmer here. Rarely do we hear anything in the distance. In any case, we did not talk about evacuation. On the contrary, they plan to open kindergartens in our district, they are thinking about what schemes to develop with schools so that children attend classes at least occasionally. In which case we will go to my grandmother in Krasnodar. But we think it will manage, the situation will improve.

We feel emotionally balanced. No fear. Absolutely. We worry more about people who are in hot spots. We are worried about Shebekino. This is our pain. Because we already consider ourselves ours.

“I wouldn’t leave Berlin if I were you”

– Have you bought a home?

– We bought a house on 25 acres. They gave about 3 million rubles. We invested 500 thousand from the mother’s capital, which we were approved. The house itself is not in very good condition, it needs to be almost completely redone, but we liked the site. There are no neighbors around, it is quiet, we have always dreamed of such a life.

In Germany, they also tried to live in the countryside, though in an apartment. But we realized that we want even more provincial. Now we live on earth and we see how children are progressing, they have quickly matured, revived. They don’t want to go back to the city.

– Did many German families move to the Belgorod region?

– A lot of. Although we thought that after the start of the NWO, the flow of migrants here would decrease. But the Germans continue to move or go to reconnaissance, to take a closer look. Everyone who has been here wants to stay. We recently had a meeting of migrants, people gathered decently. Every week we host 3-4 families from Germany.

– Belgorod residents are not surprised that so many Germans came in large numbers?

– In Belgorod, they are already used to the fact that the Germans are moving to them. In state institutions, in banks, where IDPs come to draw up documents, no one is surprised. They just ask: is it so bad there? It happened when the interlocutor, impregnated with Western propaganda, told us: I would not leave Berlin if I were you. But this is an isolated case, rather, an exception to the rule.

– Among your acquaintances there are those who lived in Russia and returned back?

– I personally know only two families who returned back to Europe. One – to Germany, the second to Switzerland. But hundreds of families remained. Although it was difficult for some to adapt, they got used to it for a long time, accepted the situation. But in the end, then they said that they were still happy.

– What else can they say, because there is nowhere to return, in Germany everything is sold.

– In Europe, people often live in rented housing, so there would be no problems with returning.

“We don’t even want to visit Europe”

– Did your parents stay in Germany?

– My parents and my husband stayed. There are circumstances that do not yet allow them to move. We hope to move them in the near future. They, like other relatives, supported our decision. And many migrants faced great resistance in the circle of relatives, friends and acquaintances.

– Are you considering the option that sooner or later you will want to return to Berlin?

– We do not consider such an option. The retreat plan was not thought out. We arrived with the idea that we would stay in Russia forever. And now they have only consolidated their decision. I know some Germans are nostalgic for Europe, but we don’t have that feeling. We don’t even want to visit Germany.

– But they didn’t refuse German citizenship just in case?

– When our relatives arrive here, we will renounce German citizenship without any problems, we do not see the need for it. Soon my fifth child will be born, we will not give him a second citizenship, there is no point. When he grows up, he will decide whether he needs it or not.

– Are you so sure that everything will work out for you in Russia?

– What we do, we like it. At the moment we see our future much more colorful in Russia than in Europe. The country is developing, we will be able to contribute to its development. In Germany, this is difficult, all niches are tightly packed. In Russia, especially after the sanctions, there is a lot of free space in which you can find yourself and realize yourself.

People complain about life both in Russia and in Germany. But here, among my friends, no one really cries. Whoever they come to visit, everyone has decent repairs in their apartments, they have cars, or even two, always fresh food on the table. We are surprised that even in the region people can afford their own quality housing.

We arrived with little savings, and we had enough to buy a whole house. After 3-4 months they began to earn. We know people who come here without a penny. It’s more difficult for them, but everything can be solved. The people somehow get on their feet, settle down.

“We won financially”

– Did you have your own apartment in Germany?

– In Germany, we could only afford to rent a five-room apartment. But there were no less problems with it than with the house that they bought in the Belgorod region: mold, pipes clogged, something else. Repair work had to be coordinated with the landlord. I didn’t want to invest in someone else’s property.

It’s easier in your own house – the neighbors don’t trample on the head, the children don’t interfere with anyone. For the first six months in Russia, we lived in a house where we rented one and a half rooms. But we were still happy. Better in a private house than in an apartment. We are not apartment people.

– In general, did you have a prosperous life in Europe?

– We had a good life. But we understood that our dreams could not be realized in Germany. There is no way to work for yourself. They could learn and work only in their specialty. Probably, they would have made a career in their profession, but they would not have received pleasure from work. There would be a gray average life, not particularly satisfying to us. And in Russia, ordinary people can apply for self-employment, everything is easier here.

– Where did you work?

– In Germany, my husband at one time worked in a store, was engaged in mobile communications, set-top boxes, equipment repair, firmware. Before having children, I worked in a large organization as a secretary-manager. Then she went on maternity leave. The husband then got a job as a courier on the night shift in order to spend more time with his family during the day.

In material terms, we have won in Russia: earnings have become higher and life here is much cheaper. It turns out to save more money than in Germany. My husband and I work for ourselves in the marketing field. We run a YouTube blog. I work part-time as a German language tutor for the soul. I don’t want to be overtired. But, nevertheless, this money is enough to provide the family with food for a month. My husband is also a photographer. I plan to open a photography studio.

– Not all immigrants there were lucky?

– Some migrants in Russia earn less than in Europe, they have to infringe on themselves. People face problems when applying for temporary registration – it is difficult to find those who would agree to register them. Many Germans do not have their own housing, there are no relatives in Russia. Most of the torment is with the customs service when it comes to customs clearance of a car, personal belongings.

“Neighbors threatened”

– Familiar Germans were surprised by your decision to move?

We only told our family and close friends about the move. At school, kindergarten, and even more so, the neighbors did not notify. At that time, the CBO began, I did not want any extra problems. We didn’t know how political these people were. Moreover, there were enough ill-wishers.

Neighbors threatened juvenile justice. In general, denunciations are common in Germany. This is especially true of the elderly, who are watching everyone. If you parked in the wrong place, they immediately call the relevant authorities so that the person is fined. This is an absolutely normal pastime of German pensioners. Snitching is also common in schools. Complaining about each other is encouraged from early childhood. So there is nothing to be surprised.

– Do you communicate with your German friends?

– When I was at school, I communicated with my peers, but after marriage there were no friends left. I maintain relations only with Russian Germans.

Although I was born in Germany, and my husband lived in this country most of the time, we did not become Germans. I have always been drawn to the Russian world, Russian cuisine, culture. They absolutely did not feel like a part of German society.

I love Germany, which was 20 years ago when I went to school. Over time everything has changed. Germany is no longer where I was born and it hurts me to tears. As a teenager, I could still express my opinion against the promotion of non-traditional relationships, and my children will not have such an opportunity. And why adapt to something that is contrary to your worldview.

– Confused only by propaganda?

– It’s not the only one. German society itself is different. Many families have a cold relationship between parents and children. There are no strong family ties, each alone. We didn’t feel comfortable.

– Have you encountered Russophobia?

– I ran into one at school. The teacher treated me well until she found out that I was Russian. My husband had more of these situations. When he first arrived in the country, the locals laughed at his colloquial speech, conflicts arose with teachers at school. After the birth of children, we faced rejection from others, as a young family with many children. There was contempt, misunderstanding.

– Are you surprised that some Russians, on the contrary, move to Europe?

– It’s always been that way. Emigration is a big part of human history. But I know those who moved to Germany, and after 2-4 years returned to Russia. Disappointed in Europe.

– Do you make plans for the future?

– We do not build global plans, purely for several years ahead. We accept everything as it is. I am now pregnant with my fifth child. We plan to equip the house, we are waiting for kindergartens and schools to open. This year the eldest son will go to 1st grade. In Russia, we have a feeling of happiness, which was lacking. In general, we are satisfied with everything.