Russian student Ruslan fiercely opposes the invasion of Ukraine and was threatened with arrest after attending three anti-war protests in Moscow.
So he didn't expect to face discrimination in Australia, where his views align with popular opinion.
After coming here as a tourist last year, he decided to enrol in a Master of Creative Arts at Deakin University, based on a friend's recommendation.
"I applied because it was my friend's university and, when I got declined, I was so surprised," he told the ABC.
"I was so upset about that," said Ruslan, who asked that only his first name be published because of concerns of possible retaliation from Russian authorities.
The rejection letter he received explained that Deakin had a blanket policy.
"Due to current circumstances, the University is not accepting any new students from Russia," the letter said.
Deakin University did not respond to the ABC's request for comment.
Many Russian students in Australia are wary of speaking publicly, because of the sensitivity of the situation.
Those who were willing to talk to the ABC said they had been impacted by Moscow's decision to invade Ukraine in a variety of ways.
However, they said, discrimination from Australians based on their nationality was the exception rather than the rule.
And they all wanted to make clear that they didn't believe their struggles in any way compared to what Ukraine's citizens were going through.
News of invasion 'traumatic'
Aleksandra — a PhD student at the University of Melbourne who also only wanted to be referred to by her first name — said she was surprised to hear what had happened to Ruslan, because her experience in Australia was so different.
She came to Australia from Russia a week before the invasion began and said reading the news when she was so far from home was "the most traumatic experience" of her life.
Having moved to a new country on her own, she found it difficult to share her thoughts when making new friends.
"I just felt a little bit isolated," she said.
Her feelings were mirrored by Maria Timofeeva, another PhD student at the University of Melbourne, who said that being a Russian in Australia after the war started left her feeling "insecure".
"I didn't know what to expect from colleagues and from strangers on the streets," she said.
"It's always been OK, but I just experience this feeling of fear when I say, 'I'm Russian'.
"Who knows what their reaction will be?"
Despite their feelings of unease, both Aleksandra and Maria said the Australian public defied their expectations and apprehensions of being discriminated against.
Both of them said Australians seemed able to discern clearly between ordinary Russians and the actions of the Russian government, and did not unfairly assign blame.
"People are very sympathetic about everything," Aleksandra said.
Conflict with family back home
Russian photographer Valentin — who is studying visual arts at RMIT in Melbourne and also only wanted his first name used — said he was bracing himself for the worst, but was still stunned when Russia invaded Ukraine.
"I literally started to cry when I read the news, because it was the worst, worst scenario possible," he said.
Valentin came to Australia from Russia nine years ago and has been vocal about his opposition to the war, but the majority of his family in Russia hold the opposite view.
He thinks his family supports the invasion because of "propaganda" they have been exposed to.
"It's a bit rude to say, but they're brainwashed," he said.
To avoid friction, Valentin and his family decided not to talk about the war.
Despite this, he said he was "really proud" of his father for being the only one in his family who refused to buy into Moscow's narrative.
Money troubles
Many Western countries imposed sanctions on Russian banks last year after the invasion began, as a way of applying financial pressure on the country. It resulted in unexpected complications for Russian citizens, including students in Australia.
Ruslan's mother used to send him money from Kazakhstan, but these transactions soon started to be declined when the Kazakh banks noted the Russian phone number associated with the account.
"It's really a headache for my mother," Ruslan said.
"It's always the biggest problem because, each time we find a new way to send money, it gets cancelled shortly after."
Aleksandra and Maria said they faced similar difficulties when they tried to access their money.
Maria flew back to Russia to withdraw her money and brought as much as she could to Australia, while Aleksandra was forced to stretch $100 over a week before she started earning at her local job.
'Educating students is an opportunity'
Ruslan is now studying English in Melbourne and has also applied to enrol at RMIT.
"My plans in Australia are to improve my English skills to a high level, study the arts and, potentially, gain interesting work experience,” he said.
Slava Kitaeff — who is associate director of the Monash e-Research Centre — was one of those who reached out to Ruslan to offer his advice.
Dr Kitaeff — a respected figure in Australia's Russian community who has lived here for more than 20 years — wrote an open letter to Australian universities in 2022, urging them to accept Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian students who had fled because of the war.
Apart from advocating in academia for those who have been affected by the ongoing conflict, he is also a staunch critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"I believe that this is an unprovoked, unjustified and unbelievable war in Ukraine," he said.
"The atrocities that the Russian military have committed against the Ukrainian civil population: it's absolutely unacceptable."
He added that he was surprised by Deakin's policy, considering it was "actually one of the first universities who responded to the letter very positively".
Dr Kitaeff said young Russians, especially students, had been at the forefront of protests against the war.
Russian students' time in Australia could play an integral role in changing their mindsets and catalysing reform, he added.
"This change will not be possible without young Russians learning about democratic and liberal principles and values," he said.
"Educating students is an opportunity for Australian universities to disseminate Australian values: peace, democracy, social harmony.
"That opportunity is not to be missed."
