‘I feel like the enemy everywhere’

VLADISLAVS

Vladislavs Nanaks, 24, chose to remain in the UK when he graduated from university. Now, he lives in Nottingham and works as an operations analyst for software company ENSEK. 

Born in Latvia to Russian parents, he was raised according to native Russian traditions, before moving to the UK in 2018. Since founding NTU’s Russian Speaking Society while he was a student, he noticed the assumptions and generalisations that are often made about the society’s members.  

“People see the word ‘Russian’ as a red flag. With all the negative things that have happened within the Russian government, people tend to think that if you’re speaking in Russian, you’re aligned with that. This upsets a lot of people,” he says. 

He is quick to voice that he is against the invasion of Ukraine and has never supported the Russian government.  “It’s really unfortunate and I feel really bad for Ukrainian people right now. I don’t want to compare who is feeling worse, but I can’t deny the fact that the situation has just been made worse for everyone – for all Russian speaking people.” 

But not all Russian people that he has met in Nottingham feel the same way that he does about the war, severing some of his friendships. “The majority of people I know are totally against it, but I have met people who were extremely for that regime. I tried to convince them otherwise and lead a logical conversation, but they didn’t listen, so I stopped communicating with them because of this.” 

Discrimination towards his Russian heritage is not a new experience for Vladislavs, as it was also prominent throughout his childhood when growing up in Latvia. “I was raised in a manner of ‘don’t show off that you’re Russian, just tell people you’re Latvian’ and my mother told me never to put Russian as my native language to hide my background. I almost feel like I’m a foreigner everywhere,” he says. 

Since moving to Nottingham, the hostility that he has experienced typically hasn’t come from English people, “but from people that I actually have something in common with,” he says.  “Most post-Soviet countries now share an opinion that Russian people are not good. That makes me feel frustrated. Whether or not there is any real danger or threat from people, it still feels like there is. Expressing myself as Russian just doesn’t feel safe.” 

The community that he built through the society has helped him during these difficult times, acting as a support system for him and many other young Russian and Russian speaking people in Nottingham. “When I first moved here in 2018, I felt alone, so it was necessary for me personally to form a social circle where I could share my thoughts, opinions and doubts, while feeling connected with my own culture,” he says. “It was necessary back then, and I feel it’s even more necessary right now.” 

LEONID

Leonid Suevalov, 18, has found university to be a safe and inclusive space. As a first-year student at the University of Nottingham, he moved from Moscow to Nottingham last September, a decision that wasn’t influenced by the conflict. “I was ready to move to a different country. The special military operations didn’t affect my decision. I would have moved out of Russia anyway.” 

Since being in Nottingham, he has been surprised by how friendly other students have been towards him. “It’s been really easy to make friends. Besides a few jokes, I haven’t been affected by it at all, honestly,” he says. “No one has been fearful of me, or negative towards me. I might just be lucky, but it has been a positive experience.”

He has noticed that people’s main reaction towards him has been curiosity. “It’s a big thing in the news and there’s so much information in the media about it. People are interested and they ask questions, but no one has made assumptions before asking first,” he says. 

“It’s a good conversation starter, even though it’s a bit dark. I’m open to conversation with anyone, as long as there is no malicious intent.” 

ANYA

Anya Goriainova, 21, is another University of Nottingham student who moved to the city from Moscow to study. Even though she feels safer here, leaving her family behind two years ago has impacted her mental health.

But the support of both her friends and her personal tutor at university has helped her to cope. “I didn’t really go out too much last year, because of my mental health. I tried to spend most of my time with my friends, who were nice and supportive. I wouldn’t say they have treated me any differently,” she says.  

Paying her tuition fees and rent has also been more difficult since the war began, because she can no longer use Russian bank cards in the UK. This has been an additional source of stress. “The main change for me was the financial situation. It’s harder for us to pay and transfer money because they check almost all Russian transactions. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to pay for university,” she says. 

Once she graduates university, Anya wants to stay in the UK, so concentrating on her studies has served as a productive and practical distraction from what’s going on back home. “Many of my Russian friends here have a second passport, so they can go somewhere else, but I only have a Russian passport, so I have no choice but to stay here or go back to Russia,” she explains. “I want to stay here in the UK, so I have to study hard.” 

VERONIKA

“After the war began, people asking me where I am from has become a trigger for me,” says Veronika Cechanovic, 23, a student at Nottingham Trent University who has been living in the UK for six years.

As a young Russian working in hospitality, she interacts with people from different age-groups on a regular basis. “Middle-aged people especially tend to straight up blame me for the situation. Such comments have led to my manager advising me to not reveal where I am from for my own safety,” she says. 

There have also been instances of hostility outside of her workplace which have left her with hurtful memories. “Recently, I went out with my friends when a well-respected man in our group made a comment about how my people are killing others. Once a man heard me speak Russian on the street and he swore at me.” 

She believes that awareness needs to be raised to help people understand that most Russians do not support the war that is taking place. “Those who protest it are met with military and police violence. One of my childhood friends who used to live in Moscow has now moved to China to avoid being enlisted and sent to fight a war he does not believe in,” she says. 

“This is why young people began leaving the country, because they do not support what the government is doing. Most of my friends have moved out, the farther the better.” 

But she feels quite relieved that she has not had negative experiences while at university. “I think it is because people are more educated and they are not as narrow-minded, which enables them to see and understand other perspectives,” she says.