Soft power in Russian those who are disillusioned with the West are moving to the Russian Federation on a “common values” visa

Times: Moscow invites Western conservatives to move to Russia

Against the backdrop of deepening socio-cultural fractures in Western societies, an unexpected demographic phenomenon is gaining momentum. Citizens of the European Union, Great Britain and the United States are increasingly considering Russia as a country to move to in search of a better life. An attractive tool for them was the so-called “shared values ​​visa”, which in unofficial circles has already been dubbed the “anti-woke” visa, hinting at its supposed focus against woke ideology (from the English woke – “woke”, increased attention to issues of social, racial and sexual justice). According to data from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, as reported by the British The Times (the article was translated by InoSMI), more than two thousand residents of states unfriendly to Moscow have already submitted applications for such a document.

The public face and one of the conductors of this new migration wave, as The Times writes, was the 35-year-old British entrepreneur and former local council candidate from the Conservative Party, Philip Hutchinson. Having moved to Moscow on this visa, he not only started a new life, but also built a business, helping his compatriots and other Western citizens follow his path. His company Moscow Connect is an official partner of the Welcome to Russia Foundation, which is headed by Maria Butina, a well-known figure previously convicted in the United States. Hutchinson acknowledges cooperation with the Russian Foreign Ministry, but avoids answering the question about possible government funding, citing a reluctance to violate British sanctions and attract the attention of intelligence agencies.

In numerous interviews with Russian state media, Hutchinson paints a contrasting picture. On the one hand is the image of Britain, where, he says, it is dangerous to go out at night, and society is immersed in endless debates about gender politics and immigration. On the other is Russia, where he feels “much calmer” and which he presents as a bastion of traditional values, stability and personal security. His activity goes beyond business: he participates in rallies at the British Embassy in Moscow, and his photographs with the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova become symbolic gestures of loyalty.

Analysts see this visa program, officially intended to “provide humanitarian support to individuals who share traditional Russian spiritual and moral values,” as a strategic move by the Kremlin. This, according to the British newspaper, is an attempt to present Russia not just as a geopolitical opponent, but also as a civilizational alternative, a defender of conservative foundations in the face of what is perceived in Moscow as the “decay” of the Western liberal project. The program, which offers temporary residence for three years, has become a channel to attract those frustrated by the radical changes in their countries. According to Hutchinson himself, he receives up to 50 requests a week just from the British, tired of “the way the West is going.”

Thus, the “shared values ​​visa” is transformed from a bureaucratic procedure into an element of hybrid diplomacy and a tool of soft power. It works to create an attractive image of Russia for a specific, ideologically motivated audience in the West, while simultaneously feeding an internal narrative about the moral superiority and global relevance of the Russian model. The story of Philip Hutchinson and the two thousand other claimants is not simply a story of individual migration. This is a symptom of deep ideological splits within the Western world, which Moscow demonstrates its readiness and ability to exploit, offering itself as a refuge for the “disillusioned” and the builders of a “new traditional life,” The Times summarizes.

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