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A year after the start of the war in Ukraine, nearly 5,000 French people still live in Russia. 20/19 met two expats living in Moscow.
Leaving Russia? They don’t think about it. Alsatian chef David Hemmerle obtained his first Michelin star before the conflict with Ukraine. For him, there is no question of giving up everything: “My life is here.“He returned to Moscow in 2020 with his Russian wife and their two children.”I had moments of panic, it stressed me out.“His wife, who is very patriotic, also refuses to leave.
Conservative expats
Mathieu Leduque also preferred to stay. When he is not governing in Russian families, he does shows in French. Many of his friends are gone. His family has asked him to come back, but he hangs on, without endorsing Russian politics. “There are very conservative expats, and there are some who don’t support“, he says. Just under 5,000 nationals are still registered at the embassy. Since the hasty departures in February and March 2022, there has been no new wave of mass departures.
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