Victoria, You really impress me. You are so very wise for your age and that is refreshing. Your mastery of the English language should make you proud especially since you are self-taught. I’ll keep watching. Wishing you and your family the best.
I am always impressed with her English ability, her maturity, her intelligence, her faith and moral values and her wonderful personality. If more young people were like Vika the world would be a much better place. She gives me hope for the future.
Your life truly shows what minimalism is all about. It is not merely about decluttering, small wardrobes, or how many items you ought to own. It is about holding objects so lightly that wherever you are living, "home" is where your family is. And you don't let objects determine what is best for you and your family.
I know this is probably "cold comfort" coming from a random stranger in England, but, when you ask "was the move worth it?" I just wanted to comment, not as an answer, but as an observation, how much I admire your choice to make such a radical move with your family. Especially since you made this move based on your values and how they do not aline with what the Russian gov is doing at the moment. I think it shows so much solidarity with Ukraine and I find that so poignant. I am newly married (approaching 2 year anniversary) and our first baby was born in Feb this year, so we are at a reasonably similar stage of life to you; I imagine myself having to make the choices you are making now and I can see how much they require courage, bravery and trust in God. I so admire all that you are doing with, and for, your family. God bless you.
I am so happy to hear you speak about your church helping the people of Mariupol. I was in Poland for a few weeks in April and was so impressed with the charity of people towards the people of Ukraine.
A lot of the people of Mariupol are ethnic russians 🙂
2 года назад
@@minime7375 Yes! . Many chose to remain Russian speaking Ukrainians, as so the majority of immigrants to other nations ...
2 года назад
@@CGplay186 According to International law .Your dead wrong about Ukraine being Russian territory ... That is why Russia is becoming a pariah state. Very sad indeed !!
@ from what I’m told by others who actually live in that area many had to change their names to sound ukrainian and were hesitant to declare themselves russians (I’m talking before the conflict) so nobody knows the exact percentages but even the official statistics from Ukraine point to around half being ethnic russians and the majority being russian speakers. So a russian based church helping out in Mariupol makes sense.
I completly can understand how You feel about that language bareer. I am from Poland and one month ago I started working in a clothes shop and we have A LOT russian-speaking customers who don't speak Polish at all and sometimes it's very hard to understand them (even though Polish and Russian are quite similar). I had one situation when I was serving one lady with a little baby and I used to learn Russian a little bit at the high school, so I remember such words as"good morning, thank you, goodbye". I will never forget that smile on her face when she heard that someone tries to help her and communicate with her using Russian. Of course I explained that I don't speak Russian fluently, but she was very very happy anyway :) Wish you a lot of health and hope Your problems will solve quickly
They say that children can learn new languages so much easier than adults ~ Agatha learning different languages is incredible & will benefit her so much as she grows up. Glad to see you guys are doing well. It’s normal to feel homesick.
As a child of Asian immigrants I was very touched by your description of how you now feel about the process of becoming and being an immigrant. As with most things you can only imagine what these things would feel like until you your self are experiencing it firsthand. And I agree with what you said about Home is where you are. Home is a place within you that you carry. The home I grew up in was the thing I always considered home until I began traveling and moving about the world and now I understand and recognize just as you do that Home is something from within that you carry with you wherever you go. As long as you see your home in those ways you’ll be able to find comfort and joy and pleasure no matter where you go in the world. Wherever your husband and your children are, for you, that is home. Beautiful said and I concur 110% with your words. Lovely vlog, Vika. 🤍. Much love from The Great Lakes US!
I am very pleased to learn you are participating with your church to help in Ukraine. I have an American Mennonite friend who has helped with a Mennonite Center in Ukraine for decades and it is very encouraging to learn they are still able to function. Thank you for being so candid and sharing your experiences and that of your family and friends in such a compassionate way. I thought your explanation of how your understanding of home really centers on the environment you are creating more than your geographic location resonated with my nomadic life within the US. I, too, am used to observing and figuring things out on my own, so I could empathize with your language difficulties. You are all so resilient and resourceful. Be good to yourselves and continue to trust your intuition and faith as your life unfolds from day to day. Many of your strategies are very similar to the advice we give refugees through cultural orientation classes here in Rhode Island, USA.
Her church is not helping Ukraine but people of Mariupol that is occupied by Russia and Russia is strugling to help civilians (mostly pro-Russians stayed there, all others are dead or flee) and thats way some charity groups from Russia are helping people there. So her church is helping Russia, not Ukraine. The good thing is - they help ordinary people that suffered from war anyway.
I think your decision to leave is a very natural one. When we’re faced with something outside of our control, especially something that goes against our beliefs, our reaction is take control of the one thing we can, ourselves.
Thank you Victoria. You are such a thoughtful and intelligent woman. I can tell you are doing your very best to live in the moment and deal with things when you need to but not let circumstances dictate how you feel. I look forward to your videos. Take care my young friend. ❤️
Victoria you are very wise for your age…you surprised me! You explained all the info to have an idea what’s going on in Russia and about your new place Georgia , about the language barrier, etc.God bless you and your family!
This was really interesting, thanks so much for sharing. I have so much respect for you and your husband for taking on such a challenge in order to do what you felt was best for your family. Wishing all the best for you and your family.
I'm from Serbia's second biggest city and have been hearing Russian more and more often (visa is not required). Read that quite a few people came here and opened companies so that they can keep working for American and European clients (as a software developer, I also have such a company). Many people here think of Serbs and Russians are being brothers forever. It bothers me that too many also support the war, but I'm glad that innocent people who immigrated are being threated well as far as I can tell.
Very interesting & informative video, Vika...well done. I continue to be so impressed that you & your husband followed you instincts & convictions when you left Russia several months ago. I have often thought about how hard this must have been for you both. You seem to make a comfortable & always loving home for Agatha, no matter where you are living. 💗 I continue to pray for your sweet family as you continue in your new lives in Georgia. Love & prayers from America❣🙏
I’ve been watching your channel for a year, I must say it’s amazing how your life has changed from the girl that showed her Russian apartment. Love following your journey and wish you the best! Much love.❤
What to say! You are just a wonderful family. Also here in Italy many private people, charity organisations, the church, the government try to support the Ukranian people who is suffering for this situation and I am very happy to hear that even your church is supporting those people who live in Mariupol. It is a good attitude towards those who are suffering a lot. Hoping that everything will turn for the best I wish you all a great happiness, health and a confortable life. Thank you for sharing this beautiful video with us.
Thank you so much Victoria...very interesting ! I’m an immigrant to Toronto Canada from Uk since 1974....then 6 years ago I came to french speaking Quebec...I so sympathize! You are a beautiful, intelligent amazing woman! You will make it anywhere !! All the best with the new baby! 🙏 I’m going to be following you with great interest. May God bless you and all your family.... Oh and by the way !......make your next move Canada if you decide to move again...we would be blessed to have you here!🇨🇦
You are quite the adventurous and courageous person. Continue to do what is best for you. Someday, you may be able to return home. Sometimes we need to make choices that aren’t easy, but in the end with Gods grace, we make it through. Many prayers for you and your family. Take care.
Im sending you positive energy. 🇨🇦 I hope I will visit Russia one day. I would love to visit as many cafeterias as I can. Try as much of your beautiful comfort food as I can. 🍽 I pray for peace.
I think you are an amazing young lady for everything you've done and come through in your young life. Knowing how intelligent you are, perhaps it wouldn't be too hard for you to learn enough Georgian to get by while you live there? I so wish I could wave a magic wand to make your life easier! xx
You are delightful. I so enjoy your videos. Your maturity is amazing. Thanks for answering all these questions. It was so informative. Bless you and your family.
I really enjoy your videos. I love learning about people living in different countries. You are always fun and informative, and it has been wonderful to follow you and learn more about your life. May God continue to richly bless you on your journey.
Culture shock is a strange thing. It can hit you one day. Other days it is exciting to be on an adventure. Usually it starts after 6 months when you get tired of everything being so different in the new country.
I am thinking of leaving my country too because of the situation. But I find it hard to decide to actually leave. I think you did the right thing and hope all works out well for you. 💞👍👋
@@michaelennis5090 thank you for your advice. I live a little further than that. But I have elderly and children to plan for so I need time but I don't want to be to late. It's just not easy but I am taking steps. 👋
Very interesting video, Vicky. I think you made a good decision, because you've all had interesting experiences - especially Agata. All the best to you 3 + 1 ❤️
I'm really enjoying your channel. My daughter-in-law is from Russia and her parents are still there. This helps me understand their world better and pray for the people there. Blessings to you!
Just a short addition to my earlier post: I used to teach World Literature to young college students, and my favorite novelists have always been Russians: Dostoevsky, Tolstoy on top of the list. And since I'm a trained classical musician, my favorite composers are Russians too: Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff on top of the list...
Interesting Q & A. Thank you! The 5 year rule to citizenship, as you described, is the same in Europe. I bet the language barrier is the hardest part. You obviously are fluent in English and will easily adjust in any European country - English is throughout Europe the second language for almost everyone, I myself can't go anywhere outside Scandinavia speaking Swedish😂. I hope your husband now has the opportunity to learn English as well. Take care. Love from Sweden/Katarina
@@jj-if6it Well, you don't need to be a citizen in order to move to any of the 27 EU countries. Do not confuse residence permits with citizenship. It's just like she said in the video, you have to live in the country for several years before you can apply for citizenship. Doesn't matter if you have a job or partner.
@@NordicLight365 I wonder if it's easy to get a residence permit and work there then, and why everyone isn't doing it. I saw lots of refugees camped outside the EU border so I assumed it was hard.
@@jj-if6it Residence permit can either be temporarily or permanent. You can get all information about these topics at the official EU website. EU border? There are many borders since there are so many countries.
It’s very hard being an immigrant, you guys probably don’t quite feel it in Georgia (being an ex-soviet country, similar culture, people speak Russian, family can fairly easily visit you). But when you move to a western country for example it’s a real shock to the system. Maybe things change in Russia in the coming years and you can go back to be close to family and friends. That’s the hardest part, when you’re thousands of miles away from your family and your kids grow up far from their home country.
Great seeing you in my RU-vid feed Victoria. Thank you for this q&a, it was so insightful. Lots of kind thoughts for you and your family. Best wishes from Ireland.
I know what you mean. No place is like where you were born, but it's ok Georgia is a nice country too. You can go to Armenia and see how beautiful it is. Take care of yourself and your beautiful family 💖💖💖
"Do you think we should still travel around Russia." I don't think so, because I don't think we should be supporting the country with our tourism money. I feel the same way about China. I would like to visit one day but I don't know if I ever will now because I don't want to give them my money.
Or Usa...let be honest. But well most of people are not thinking about politics when travelling but to see places and meet people and learn from other cultures. Believe me it is more eye opening as watching news
@@norski24 yeah a lot of people don't think about it but I do. For example I feel weird about ever visiting Spain because they still celebrate torturing bulls.
@@jj-if6it To be honest i kinda respect your decision and principles. What i was trying to say is that politics shouldn't impact us that much...there are just 2 kind of people good and bad ones, and i do believe we all become better people when we are prepared to listen to a stranger and not judge them in advance
We have no business, speaking specifically of the US, with Ukraine. There is nothing moral or courageous about sending arms and money to a corrupt government and military in order to fight a proxy war with Russia. This is not helping the Ukrainian people or preventing their suffering in any way shape or form. What is making it worse is the meddling of the US that has been going on for almost a decade or perhaps even longer in this region
@@penultimateh766 Thanks im all good, do not need to stand in the line...neither i want to in these one. Have been, have friends and have meet looot of great people in Usa and guess what most of them they do realise and have seen impacts around the world, from the so called greatest one....so spare me with idealising...there are only 2 kind of people on the world, good and bad ones and therefore i wish you to focus and try to find and meet the good ones and put the nationality,politic and religion to the side
I applaud your decision to do what you felt right for yourselves, even though it was not easy. I hope you find the Home you are looking for. It is sad that many people with a social conscience are leaving Russia. A greater social conscience is needed in the Russian government institutions. God bless you.
Very informative. Maybe you and your husband could open a second hand store for children's items or furniture. You would need to do research on what people in Georgia would support. Maybe there are other immigrants that you could partner with to start. And because so many people moved to Georgia with little, they will need the basics at good prices.
Victoria, you are an amazing young woman! Thank you for answering questions, I really enjoyed hearing why you relocated and totally understand why. We are living in a very unstable world right now, things are very different but you are right life has to go on and we will have to adjust. Thank you!
Vika, thank you for all of your very hard work to put together this very comprehensive and important Q&A. Your perspective is so refreshing and very necessary as so much of the international news reporting that we can access can be very politicized or biased and not always representative of the experiences of people. I know that you, as well as other Russians, have relied on virtual public networks to access independent media, which is great. Many of us who follow you are immigrants of one kind or another so I know that the stories you are sharing really resonate and it is reassuring to know that you are feeling safe and free after leaving Russia. I am hopeful for better times ahead and pray that we can all see our loved ones without so many obstacles. Thank you again-- I wish all the best to you, Tolya and Agata always.
I understand little Russian because I studted it at school and I can tell You in Russian that sorry I cant Russian but I really mean it. It happens that local Russians ask something and I do understand but I am not able to answer in Russian. Not because I do not want. I have never practised it. I think same with many Georgians. They have studed at school but never needed.
I am just glad you are safe and you have had your baby girl. She is very beautiful. Hope your husband and daughters are doing well. Stay Safe. From South East America Allie 😊💖☺️
I'm an American in Russia. Everything is good and people are so warm. Big hearted people who gave me good food and a big blanket when I was cold because I was renting a house and didn't bring any bed cover. The old lady was so welcoming.
@@pluutoop I’ve heard how welcoming Russians are from a cousin too who travelled there in the past. Our country would have you believe that Russia is a terrible, dangerous place. Reality is, it’s the governments that are dangerous and not the people. Same applies for most countries!
Will Agatha start school in Georgia soon? Do you know where you will have your baby in Georgia? Are family and friends visiting you now that you are settled in Georgia ? Prices are very high in gas in USA, food and electricity are also higher than ever in my life at age 72. All Americans are concerned. Many places are short on employees so many openings for jobs, even in healthcare which is troubling, and airports have lots of cancellations on a daily basis very frequently. Happy to see you on you tube today. Wishing you a healthy delivery Victoria and the very best .Are you teaching Agatha English as well? Thank you so much ❤️
Your experiences with the banks and money when all this happened caused us to consider taking action to make sure we had access to funds in case our banks closed and we weren't able to withdraw funds. I appreciate you sharing your troubles as it helps us plan for our future in case we have similar issues here. This song from Fiddler on the Roof may speak to your soul. I thought of it as you spoke of leaving your home. "Anatevka, Anatevka Underfed overworked Anatevka Where else could Sabbath be so sweet? Anatevka, Anatevka intimate, obstinate Anatevka Where I know everyone I meet. Soon I'll be a stranger in a strange new place Searching for an old familiar face from Anatevka. Anatevka, Anatevka I belong in Anatevka Dear little village little town of mine."
I am always so happy to see each of your videos and know how you are all doing. Stay positive and relying on God. Praying for you all and for your new arrival in August! 💜💜💜
Thank you for your videos, always nice to hear your q&a's. Thank God your finanicial stuff are all okay now & you were able to get your savings + youtube monetization. God bless you & your family!❣️
So good to see you are doing well! This is something I just thought of, do people in other countries have baby showers? Will you be able to have one with your friend’s and family a little bit scattered?
Thank you for this Victoria. I feel like you could not have made a video like this in Russia, even with RU-vid still working Good luck with everything!
Just wanted to mention something regarding 41:55 where you said that you sometimes ask Georgians if they speak Russian or English. Not everyone learns Russian language at school anymore, some learn german, some french etc. But French tourists would never ask a local random guy in Tbilisi if they speak French, right? What I am trying to say is that Georgians no longer want to be associated with the Russia and Russian language for understandable reasons. English is a safe option and does not offend anyone. Good luck, hope you enjoy your stay.
There is something about russian people, they alway expect others to speak Russian language, as if it's the most popular one:) No offense to Vika, just my observation.
A French person wouldn’t ask a Georgian if they speak French, because Georgia doesn’t border France. There is a good reason to think they might speak Russian though
@@Osafune2 Well, Georgia borders Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan as well. I have never heard of or seen any of those expecting Georgians to speak their language. This makes me think that your argument about shared borders is not valid. Maybe some Russians have trouble acknowledging that the Soviet Union no longer exists and that Georgia is not a governorate of Russia?
Hello, I think the 70 percent support is quite accurate though as I only know a few Russians who have openly said they disagree with what is happening. Multiple of my friends (Latvians) have lost contacts with their Russian relatives and friends because they are now being called liars and nazists. Even though russians have always been treated well in Latvia - there were always available Russian schools, tv's, radios, I had to learn Russian to be able to work in my own country because they refuse to learn Latvian after living there for 30+ years. And now we Latvians are Nazists because one sick man said so. If a person saw a drawning child, they wouldn't just stay neutral and observe, but somehow Russian people think it is fine to observe Ukrainian kids being killed. The world will never forget such cruelty. I am glad you left. Your Kids might be very proud of you when they'll understand what you stood up for.
To be honest, I am surprised that Russians are treated well in Latvia. perhaps the propaganda also struck me - via the Internet, probably because I haven't watched TV for 10 years, probably. However, I have constantly heard about cases in the Baltic states when knowing Russian, the locals pretend that they do not know it. well, the policy of the authorities of these countries has always seemed cruel to me - passports of non-citizens and the fact that, for example, only Latvians should be in Latvia (something like that, I don't remember the exact phrase). However, I don't consider you Nazis. so far, unfortunately, only our soldiers can be called that. and I'm sorry that most of us are zombified. It hurts my heart every news about a new rocket that has arrived in a Ukrainian city, new victims - it doesn't matter if they are children or adults. I would like to object to this, but they will either put me in jail, people of my own country will hate me
@@maggsun Thank you for your comment. Locals have to know Russian or they can't work in their own country. I used to work in clothes shop and would get verbal abuse from Russian customers because I didn't understand some words concidering it has been a long time since many schools no longer teach Russian in our country so you have to learn yourself to be able to work. My hushands best friend is Russian- 30 years old who struggles to communicate with me because he went to Russian school, and People always converted to speak with him in Russian, so he never learnt our language because we need to learn Russian in their eyes. There are thousands of people like him not only in Latvia. There are less than 2 million Latvians, our language is unique and has to be protected, but we are forced to speak Russian because they hate everything non-russian. My husband is Latvian. He had job where work meetings were held in Russian because majority of colleagues were russians who wouldn't understand latvian. There was also a Latvian Girl who didn't understand Russian, she was told she needs to learn not that the Russian colleagues should finally learn the National language of Latvia. What Bad treatment Can we talk about? If someone is treated Bad it is us Latvians in our own country by Russians who could easily live happily in Russia but chose to stay and make our lives miserable by disrespecting our language, culture and country. We've seen our flag being publically burnt by russians on 9th May "victory" day. Thank you for being Open and willing to learn truth, though. Peace. 🤍
@@maggsun Russians are conditioned to think everyone hates them. The truth is no one hates people who live with peace, who live with respect. My best friends mum moved from Russia when she was 18 to Latvia and married a Latvian man. She passed exams and applied for citizienship, the only thing you need to do that is to learn language and learn a bit about our history which is totally normal. All those People who have the non-citizien passports it is only because they never even tried to integrate to our country. However my hushands friend who doesn't even know our language is Latvian in passport because he was born in Latvia. Would you still think the System is unfair? My friends mum is over 50 now and has always treated Latvians with respect. She talks our language, knows our celebrations, is a citizien. Nobody has issues with People Like her, we respect them, we appreciate them because they come with peace. They learn to Love and embrace our culture and language not to destroy it. Imagine me going to Spain and demanding everyone to learn Latvian and speak with me in Latvian, open latvian schools for my kids and then still say that everyone treats me bad. This is how ridiculous it is.
@@elizabete2685 to all comments in this thread. As an American I can only read and imagine these situations of which you speak. I feel that if my fellow citizens had a better grasp on European history and how diverse each population is would help. My country with all it’s problems and sometime insanity, is dotted about with all kinds of cultures that are unique within the boundary. I wish for all Russian people and all former Soviet lands to have peace and prosperity. With only love.
For U.S. citizens be aware that Paul Whelan was traveling to a friend's wedding when he was seized, accused of being a spy and he is rotting in a maximum security prison for the past three years. Brittany Griner came to play in Russia and is a high value citizen so she thought she could get away with having CGB oil in her luggage. Most likely she has done this in past years. You can see what a pickle she is in now. But Paul Whelan did not bring personal marijuana products into Russia. I would advise any US, UK or European citizen to tour Russia via You Tube bloggers and not venture out as a real tourist to Russia. And why would we give them our tourist dollars under the circumstances.
Completely agree. To travel to Russia now would be an insane idea for any Western citizen. I’m following the case of Brittany Griner.. Even the US government can’t do anything. The situation will probably not change for many years, so Brittany is stuck in Russia’s prison🙁
Agree 100%. It infuriates me their is not enough media coverage about Paul Whelan as well. While I do watch Russian's vloggers and think those people, and many other Russians are wonderful people, I could not support the Russian government now. Between Paul Whalen's kidnapping and the atrocities in the Ukraine, with not only deaths but things like the 11 yr old boys who was gang-raped by Russian soldiers in front of his mother as an act of humiliation and violence, Putin is a monster to whom I couldn't ethically give even a penny. Putin does not care about his own people, nevermind the rest of the world.
All media is controlled in the US too. Propaganda was legalized over a decade ago, unfortunately. Finding good sources of the utmost importance right now for everyone. God bless!
You're saying it's difficult to get immigration visas for EU when applying from Georgia, because there are a lot of people applying for the same visa. So go to EU on a tourist visa and apply for the immigration visa from inside an EU country, chances are you will be treated much better there. Only saying because long time ago I did a similar thing.^^
Victoria, I hope you and your family find a permanent living space and hope you do not go back to Russia. I think you would be happy in the U.S. if you apply for a working Visa.
*From 2014 to 05/2023, there were about 4 million more emigrants than immigrants in Russia.* The immigrants to Russia were about 3/4 from Uzbekistan, Tajkistan and Kygystan and were mainly low-skilled. The emigrants, on the other hand, were predominantly well to highly qualified young Russians. Just google "International migration in Russia from 1997 to 2021"
