Tens of thousands of Russians are fleeing their country, losing hope as war unfolds.
Russians are leaving their country for Istanbul in the tens of thousands and are looking to start new lives in that major city in Turkey. Those finding their way there are only the tip of the iceberg of a migration spurred by the invasion of Ukraine under orders from President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
They have left jobs and family behind, in many cases have savings in Russian bank accounts that they can no longer access, and some have even given up on the prospects of comfortable middle-class lives or careers in their native country.
Many fear that an increasingly isolated Russia, where journalists and activists can face arrest if they are deemed to be spreading “false information” about the war, will be inhospitable to them. Some were workers in tech, law and other industries. Others are musicians and artists who see no future for their crafts.