Many Russians in Yerevan also work remotely for Russian and foreign tech companies. Rostotskiy had the opportunity to work remotely, which made leaving Russia and starting over in Armenia much easier. Other tech workers fled Russia because the companies they worked for had difficulties paying them after Western nations implemented harsh new restrictions on Russia’s banking system. “If I had, like, a tiny piece of belief that something can be changed in Russia I would have stayed,” Rostotskiy said. And most have no intention of returning home as long as Vladimir Putin remains in power. Many tech workers who fled to Armenia strongly opposed the war or feared getting drafted. Several weeks later, Rostotskiy managed to flee to nearby Armenia along with at least 40,000 other Russians. Police officers quickly detained and charged him with participating in an unlawful protest. But denouncing the war is a crime in Russia its punishable by jail time. It’s estimated that at least 100,000 tech workers have left Russia since it invaded Ukraine last year for neighboring countries such as Kazakhstan and Armenia.Īfter the full-scale invasion in Ukraine began last winter, data analyst Alexei Rostotskiy attended an anti-war protest in Moscow. “Having so many new Russian colleagues on the ground has expanded the creativity, the mindset, the solutions - there's just a more diverse opportunity at the table," said Madlene Minassian, Picsart’s head of learning and development. But now, Russians are migrating to Armenia and helping to improve the local economy. The office resembled any tech office in San Francisco.įor years, many Armenian migrants have gone to Russia to work low-wage jobs. They were sitting in comfy chairs and helping themselves to free snacks and drinks while two co-workers played at a pingpong table. On a recent afternoon, Russian and Armenian colleagues gathered in a cafeteria at Picsart, a tech company that produces photo software, from its office in Yerevan, Armenia.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |