► https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/111751-002-A/re-flucht-vor-der-einberufung/

Since October 3, 2022, three Russian war refugees have been living in our apartment – my friend Dima, 41 years old, and two of his friends, Denis and Andrey, 36 and 34 years old, plus Hugo, the dog. For months, they had been contemplating leaving Russia behind. When the mobilization was announced on September 21, they hastily left the country. All three strongly oppose Putin, and none of them want to participate in any combat actions against Ukraine. They were confident that they would be accepted in Germany. However, the hopes that the German Ministry of the Interior had given to Russian war objectors throughout the summer of 2022 did not materialize. My friends are now desperately searching for a way out. Denis is a chef, and Andrey is a graphic designer – two professionals who are urgently needed in Germany! And indeed, after six weeks, both of them have job contracts in hand. But the struggle for visas is only beginning now. An employment visa for Germany can only be applied for outside the European Union. Andrey and Denis are optimistic. Dima had the most difficult time. He is a freelancer and worked in Moscow as a journalist and production manager for international film projects. With this job profile, he does not fit into the categories of the German visa system at all.

Three months later, I visit my friends in Yerevan. They had to leave Europe after their tourist visas expired and decided to temporarily live in the Armenian capital. Everything has turned out very differently than they had hoped.