Egor Tkachenko, Deputy Chairman of the Youth Faction of Yabloko, Yekaterinburg "I’ve been watching how the behavior, rhetoric, and emotional state of those who emigrated, but whom I don’t know personally have changed. It’s well known that scandals are common in the expat community. I was very afraid my colleagues who emigrated would go through that too, but thankfully, they didn’t. Still, the conflict between those who left and those who stayed hasn’t gone away, and it’s unclear what to do about it. Most of those who left have written Russia off. They don’t believe things can get better. Sometimes they look down on those who stayed and continue their civic work. In their view, ‘this country’ — as they call Russia — has no future, and they see fellow citizens as backward savages or ethnic slaves. We, who stayed, on the contrary, believe in a better future for ourselves, our children, parents, and fellow citizens. We vote, create petitions, join parties and civic organizations, donate to independent media and we try to keep moving. We believe Russia has a future, and that this future can be bright. That’s why there’s such a huge ideological gap between us and many of the activists who left. At first, I tried talking to people who left, not friends, just acquaintances trying to convince them that change is possible in Russia. But no dialogue happened. They reacted aggressively, with arguments like ‘Russia’s history, its path, and its people are all wrong.’ In my opinion, this thinking only strengthens the current political regime by spreading panic and fear. In reality, the regime can never physically destroy everyone. Those who remain must keep hope alive. As soon as change begins, the regime will lose its ability to rule through fear. Fear is the needle that holds the regime’s power. I would’ve left long ago myself if I weren’t part of Yabloko. Despite so many leaving, I don’t feel alone. I’ve found new like-minded people and supporters. When you’re detained, there are people willing to stand by the police station or donate to cover your fine. You realize you don’t want to leave after all you’re not alone anymore. From the outside, it might seem like political activism in Russia is dead, but that’s not true. Yes, many left, but many new people joined. In 2022, Yabloko had a record year in terms of new supporters: 300,000 people. A record for the party. Sure, they’re not very experienced, but they’re full of enthusiasm. And it’s crucial not to lose that spark." Shoshana, Queer Activist, Ural Federal District "Most of my colleagues from St. Petersburg have emigrated, but not so many from my region. Still, their absence is physically felt. We used to meet in person and discuss projects. Now it’s all online, and those meetings don’t feel as alive. There’s a feeling of loneliness among activists and beneficiaries alike. Some organizations have shut down, others operate ‘underground’. All of this affects morale. But here’s how I see it: despite everything, we continue our work. Beneficiaries see that they come to our events, they’re happy something is happening. That saves us. People are now happy even about casual meetups like just gathering to draw together. We used to have broader goals like finding ways to engage with cis-hetero people, collaborating with other NGOs, like those working on HIV. Now our goal is just to keep going. We still talk to colleagues who emigrated. Our ties haven’t been cut. We support each other in every way. They tell us how they’re doing abroad. It's tough for many and we tell them how things are here. Sometimes those who stayed see the world in a very dark light. But emigrated activists encourage us, highlight the good in our work. That helps us stay focused. Almost all of my colleagues who left want to return and say they’ll do it as soon as things get even a little safer in Russia. That’s why I want to keep going so when they return, our organizations will still exist, and people won’t have to start from scratch. Our team is constantly growing. People who used to just attend events now want to help. I really hope that one day, we’ll all meet again in person, not online, and witness a new Russia." Kirill Rumyantsev, Deputy Chairman of Yabloko, Saratov "I joined Yabloko as a student in 2021 to work as an election observer. I wanted to see how elections were conducted and whether there were any falsifications. After my first elections, when I saw what was happening at polling stations, I stayed in the party. I coordinated observers and engaged in other civic activities, which I think benefited my city. That’s the classic path of a political activist. Usually, people join a party while they’re still students, and after graduation, they get jobs and have less time for activism, so they step away to build their lives. It’s always been like this before and after 2022. Some of my colleagues and friends left Russia. When I think of them, I feel sadness. There’s a risk they’ll never come back. I believe they could’ve helped build a new Russia—democratic, liberal, without repression or tyranny. These are smart, principled, and talented people. Brain drain is a loss for any country. I hope they return someday. If I can bring back even a few of them, that will be my small victory. But right now it’s not possible some face criminal charges, others might be labeled foreign agents. Still, their departure hasn’t thrown me off course because I’m surrounded by people who support me. They won’t let me dwell on sadness or shut down emotionally. Talking to colleagues gives me so much energy because I see that, despite everything, there are people around with shared goals. The most important thing is to surround yourself with people whose eyes are full of light then your own spark won’t fade. I don’t know what I’d do without them." Dmitry, Urban Activist, Central Federal District "Many of my colleagues and friends have left, and I miss them, but our connections remain. We still have video calls every two weeks. There weren’t many activists in my city to begin with. Some of those who left feel their efforts were meaningless. But I don’t think that’s true. In my field there are still many activists and volunteers. Some of them might support the war, I don’t know.I don’t discuss that topic. I think now is the time to simply endure and preserve ourselves, so we can build a better Russia in the future. People are active in local history collecting signatures to install monuments, getting involved in local heritage. A young woman recently contacted me and offered to fund one of my projects that shows people care and are getting involved." | 
