It was not long after Artur posted a picture of his birth certificate showing his Ukrainian heritage to Instagram that he and his partner decided to flee Russia. “We took a precaution to leave,” said Vsevolod, his partner. Artur felt more strongly: “We read the signals,” he said, recalling the abuse he received.
The couple fled Moscow for Istanbul in early March, their lives turned upside down overnight by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising concern among young men about how authorities could demand they show support for the war, including military conscription. Both of their names have been changed at their request.
