I’ll take you away
After the outbreak of war in Ukraine, along with the growing disagreement of Russians with the political regime and their desire to leave the homeland, the number of marriages has increased. In 2022, 130 thousand more couples got married than in 2021. The total exceeded one million registered marriages for the first time since 2015.
Simplification of bureaucratic red tape was one of them, but not the only reason. If one of the spouses relocates to another country, the other one can apply for family reunification. This option is not possible if the couple’s relationship is not legalized. For people in a relationship, it has become a big problem to relocate together because of possible difficulties with getting visas and residence permits. To simplify emigration, some couples decided to get married. That decision was due to several reasons.
The next reason was fear of mobilization. Men who didn’t support the war and didn’t want to go to war were forced to leave their homeland. Sometimes their departure was so quick that they didn’t have time to pack.
The last but not the least reason was the need for support and a sense of security in such hard historic period.
The project “I’ll take you away” consists of some portraits of newlyweds who, after the outbreak of the war, decided to get married and emigrate together. The couples are photographed in their wedding outfit against the background of the Russian landscape. They are separated from it by a black photo backdrop, which symbolizes their future break with the Motherland. Some of the heroes have already left the country, some are collecting documents and preparing for the upcoming emigration.
Yuki & Sasha Wedding date: 01.04.22 Moscow - Podgorica Yuki's relatives lived in Kharkov, he knew from them that they were being bombed. Those days were absolutely terrifying for Yuki. Antidepressants helped to cope, but many medications, including antidepressants, starting disappearing in pharmacies in Russia. Sasha was an activist, her activist group was being monitored, and before each protest, the police called her and advised to stay in. After February 24, the police regularly controlled political activists. The guys decided to get married to help each other in such a situation. Sasha considers herself to be LGBT. The fact, she is now married and protected by traditional values, but she is shocked that now the State Duma is trying to ban such people as a class. They are even afraid to imagine what will happen next. Now the guys are preparing documents to emigrate in late autumn.
Nikita & Masha Wedding date: 30.04.2022 Saint Petersburg —Tbilisi Masha is a film director, Nikita is a cameraman. They worked together on documentary films about national minorities in Russian regions. The guys decided to relocate because there are no possibilities to work in Russia. For Masha, this is a deepest personal drama - she just graduated from university, received a director's diploma feeling that that was the beginning of her career. She lived in the place she loved, with her beloved person who they made plans with.But now film industry is getting more and more propagandistic in Russia. So, participation in any propagandistic projects immediately indicate that reputation at stake. It has become almost impossible to find funding for your projects, and it is no longer possible to receive public funding.The guys does not have a clear plan for where they are going. They plan to spend the first time in Tbilisi and then decide where to go next.
Alex & Nastya Wedding date: 20.04.22 Saint-Petersburg - Erevan When the war began, there were rumors about a general mobilization. Nastya was afraid that Alex might be joined the army and she would not be able to do anything. She asked him to get married. The guys suppose that emigration is their way of protection. But they don't have enough money to move. Like most Russians, they live paycheck to paycheck. Nastya is trying to apply for studying programs in foreign universities. She was invited to be interviewed in July, and then the borders closed and they stopped responding to her. Alex says that Russia is now like a famous meme in which a dog sits in a room on fire and at the same time says «It’s fine». Now the guys are saving up money to relocate. «Our homeland was taken away from us», Nastya says.
Sasha & Alyona Wedding date: 04.04.22 Moscow - Bernburg The question often asked in mass media is where you have been for the last 8 years? But nobody think about the age of people who have to answer it.Sasha and Alyona were only 14 years old when Russia’s law against gay propaganda among minors came into force. At that age Sasha realized that he was a trans man. Sasha and Alyona were only 15 years old when the annexation of Crimea took place. When this year in February nuclear weapons in Russia were in a state of hight alert because of war the guys were only 23. After a brief moment of vividly imagining a worldwide nuclear catastrophe Sasha realized that the one thing he would regret most is not spending enough time with Alyona. So, he asked her to marry him. By that time Sasha had а completed his transition and been able to marry Alyona officially. Now they are spouses actively looking for opportunities to emigrate.
Vova and Lilya Wedding date: 07.04.2022 St. Petersburg - Tbilisi (Georgia) When the war began, Lilya was afraid that mobilization might be announced and Vova would be taken to the front. The guys never supported the Russian government, went out to rallies and protests as long as it was possible. In order to be able to help each other if something happens or leave together, they signed. They began to save money for departure, but the September mobilization happened and they had to leave urgently. Vova is not subject to military service, but the probability of being at war did not decrease from this. To go to war for Vova was an unthinkable step. Vova traveled to Georgia for three days, most of it he stood in a giant traffic jam at the border in Upper Lars. Lilya left for Vova at the end of December 2023.
Kolya & Natasha Wedding date: 05.04.2022 Moscow - Tbilisi Kolya and Natasha decided to get married immediately after Russia attack on Ukraine. In Russian theaters actors, playwrights and directors who disagree with the country's policy have been massively dismissed for the last six months. The only way that they have now is to emigrate or go underground. It’s so hard for Natasha because she is a playwright. it is difficult for her to imagine her life in exile, «I am my language, my culture», she said. Kolya remembers well the 90s in Russia: the collapse of the USSR, tanks in Moscow, shots fired, default, poverty and crime. But he says that it has never been so terrible here as it is now, that is why he can not working like artist here anymore. The plan of the guys is that Kolya will go first to Tenerife and try to work with a friend in a synthesizer production company, then Natasha will move there, too.
Misha & Sonya Wedding date: 09.04.2022 Moscow — Tel Aviv Sonya is a teacher for children with special needs. She is a politically active citizen. After the 24 of February, she became seriously afraid, because the Russian government tightened control of the activists. Her fears were not groundless. At the beginning of May, the police came to Sonya's workplace and charged her with article 20.2 of Administrative Code (organizing of rallies).The government wanted to prevent possible protests during the Victory Day celebrations in Russia on the 9 of May. After the first news about the war, Misha had a deep depression, he just lay down and could not get up. The couple didn't want to risk Sonya's freedom and Misha's health any further, so they decided to relocate. Sonya has Jewish roots and was able to repatriate to Israel, taking Misha with her. When Misha told his father that he was going to emigrate, the man broke into tears. "I'm ashamed I failed raising my son a patriot."
Olya and Anton 13.04.2022 St. Petersburg - Berlin (Germany) The guys thought about trying to live abroad even before the war, but during the covid epidemic they began to look after an apartment and "somehow began to grow" to St. Petersburg: they moved their mother, bought an apartment, a car and thought about a dacha. Thoughts of leaving faded into the background, I wanted to try to live and develop in Russia. They learned that the war had begun from the morning news. Anton is a doctor and a reserve captain. Anton understood that doctors would be raised and sent to war. With his rank, he will be in the first lists. Olya works in IT. Her company helped its employees to relocate. The guys decided to get married so that it would be easier to leave. Olya was given a visa for six months, Anton went on a family reunification visa.
Tania & Valera Wedding date: 08.04.2022 Moscow - Astana The guys met on Tinder. On the first date, Tania invited Valera to write postcards to political prisoners. They got married right after the 24 of February, because it was easier to emigrate together. The biggest fear of the first days of the war was the possibility of general mobilization. So, Valera could have been sent to the front, which was unacceptable for him. One day Valera got a call from the military enlistment office and a tired voice offered him to join contract army. Valera refused. Now he is looking for a remote job, and Tania is trying to apply for studying programs in foreign universities. They say that it’s a shame to see the potential of Russia to go to waste and be unable to do anything. They would like to move to a country where they could know what freedom and human rights are.
Ruslan & Kamila Wedding date: 13.05.2022 At the moment they are in Russia. The catalyst for Ruslan and Kamila's relationship was the war. Kamila was on Lake Baikal when she found out that her close friend from Moscow was emigrating and she wouldn’t have time to say goodbye to him. At that moment, she realized that everything was unstable and could collapse at any moment and she wanted to be with Ruslan, she proposed him to get married. Kamilla studied political science. Now some of her teachers participate in the politics TV shows as experts. She recalls that one of them once gave a «failure» to her group mate because he claimed that Britain would never be into Brexit. And now she sees that he was right and believes that politics cannot be predicted. As well as what will happen to Russia next.
Seryezha & Sonya Wedding date: 28.04.22 Saint-Petersburg - Kuritiba They both worked in the gaming field. Now Seryezha is out of work - it has become impossible to sell Russian games to the foreign market. The guys believe that people of creative professions in Russia have no prospects. Seryezha’s mother supports the policy of President and "has never been as happy as she is now», he said. They stopped all communication. Seryezha is deeply depressed, so only medications and therapy helped him. Sonya is in therapy after the outbreak of war. She still works in her company, but she does not know what will happen next, as well as the management of the company. At the moment, Seryezha is waiting for a job offer to Brazil and then they will relocate immediately.
Vlad & Lena Wedding date: 05.06.2022 Moscow - Bali When the war started, they could not believe in it. But when they realized that everything was serious, they were very terrified. They had already planned to live somewhere in another country before, events only brought them closer to those plans. Lena was able to transfer her work to a remote location. She is an illustrator and some of her orders come from abroad, but now she has problem with international transactions. There were several clients who refused to work with her just because she was Russian. Vlad is a Belarusian, he knows what mass protests are like and how activists are still being persecuted. So, they did not go to protests in Russia. They believe that Russia is so big that in some regions people even do not know that there is any opposition, "yes, there is no opposition as it is: somebody is prisoned, somebody emigrates», said Lena.