Russia an ‘ark of normalcy’ to Western traditionalists – senior official
Russia is perceived as an “ark of normalcy and serenity” to Westerners who appreciate traditional family and cultural values, according to Evgeny Primakov, the head of an agency in charge of humanitarian contacts. Tens of thousands of such people may move to the country, he believes.
Primakov heads an agency called Rossotrudnichestvo, which is tasked, among other things, with fostering interpersonal interactions with foreigners. He touted resettlement projects for Western migrants in an interview with the newspaper Izvestia on Thursday.
“We are discussing an ‘American village’ in Moscow Region. We plan to allocate 27 hectares (67 acres) for this project near Serpukhov,” he said, referring to a city located about 100 km (60 miles) south from the Russian capital.
“Some foreigners are already moving to Yaroslavl Region [250km (155 miles) northeast of Moscow]. And there will be more of them,” he added.
Potentially, tens of thousands of people from unfriendly nations of NATO, the US and Europe are considering moving to Russia and are ready to take practical steps to do that.
Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyev confirmed this week that his administration was eager to accommodate “Americans.” The region is “glad to welcome every new resident, especially those who bring something smart, useful and important with them,” he told journalists. Both he and Primakov were speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
The ‘American village’ is set to house 200 families from the US and Canada who are seeking to flee their home countries for ideological reasons, according to a Russian immigration attorney involved in the project. The construction, which will begin next year, is being funded by the settlers themselves, Timur Beslangurov explained last month.
