Russians back on slopes: Courchevel sees a resurgence
Are Russians starting to feel at ease in Europe again? Many signs point to this. A video has surfaced online showing young Russian citizens having fun. The individuals in the video are waving Russian flags and singing Russian songs, expressing their belief that "France did surrendered to them."
Courchevel was one of the favourite tourist spots for Russians before the invasion of Ukraine. Young residents from Moscow or St. Petersburg used to visit the French town for skiing and parties.
After the war began, the number of Russians in Courchevel significantly decreased. This was partly due to sanctions imposed on Russia by European Union countries. Access to France was greatly restricted; for example, Russian airlines' flights were suspended in countries that imposed sanctions.
Over time, Russians began to circumvent the sanctions, and European entrepreneurs welcomed them with open arms. This is evidenced by a recording available online. In January 2024, many young residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other cities in Russia enjoyed themselves in Courchevel.
Russians dance in France. Are they feeling at home?
The video shows men and women dancing, singing Russian songs, and waving Russian flags.
To listen to the will of silence, to walk along the path into the dense forest, to chat with a birch tree about him and about love. Mother Earth, white birch... Mother Earth, oh, white birch, for me it's holy Russia, for others it's a splinter - sing the people enjoying themselves, dancing to the rhythm of Tatyana Kurtukova’s propaganda song.
Cheers and shouts can be heard in the background. - The French forbade us to wave the Russian flag to our song. Is this normal? - the Russians in Courchevel loudly shout.
Anton Gerashchenko, who shared the video, noted that its creator captioned it with the striking statement "The French did surrender to us at last." It is apparent that Russians are feeling increasingly at ease in Western European countries.
