Why war‑weary Russians are finding sanctuary in the Maldives
"I have the impression that if someone flew to the Maldives and wanted to speak only Russian during their holiday, they wouldn't have any problem," says Vera, a Russian living in the Maldives. The picturesque island has become a paradise for Russians who are tired of pro-war propaganda.
30 July 2024 14:44
Over two years have passed since the full-scale aggression in Ukraine began. Many Russians firmly oppose the continuation of the war, and some have decided to leave the country. One such person is 28-year-old Vera, who lives and works in the Maldives. In a conversation with an Onet correspondent, she explained why so many Russians are on the islands and what the locals think of them.
She was tired of the war. She moved to the Maldives
Vera is a 28-year-old Russian woman. She worked as a client relations manager, but after the outbreak of the war, she decided to leave the country. One day, her friend, who lives in the Maldives, wrote to her. She offered her a job, and the 28-year-old agreed to her proposal.
Thus, she ended up on Thoddoo, a small, picturesque island. Immediately after arriving, she heard her compatriots.
"The Russian language could be heard everywhere! When I went to a café to eat something after a long journey, it turned out that the waiters were boys from Khabarovsk," Vera confessed.
According to her account, the Maldives have become a refuge for war-weary Russians. Some of them have stayed here permanently.
"I'm not even talking about the multitude of Russians who run tours here or own hotels. I have the impression that if someone flew to the Maldives and wanted to speak only Russian during their holiday, they wouldn't have any problem," she continued.
Vera is a hotel manager. Although she interacts with people worldwide, she believes that her compatriots are the most demanding guests.
"For example, at 2 a.m., a guest from our hotel called me. I thought he felt unwell and needed a doctor. He needed a hairdresser at 2 a.m.! Of course, it was a tourist from Moscow. No European would behave in such a way," she said.
In the further part of the conversation, she talked about an aggressive Russian tourist who couldn't accept that alcohol sales are prohibited on the islands. The outraged man started swearing, and Vera ended the conversation. A negative review about her appeared on the establishment's website sometime later.
"That's so Russian: the customer is a deity, the service — nothing…" she confessed.
What do the inhabitants of the Maldives think about Russians?
The war in Ukraine has caused many people to be hostile towards Russians. However, it turns out that no one in the Maldives has a problem with this.
"The inhabitants of the Maldives are indifferent to us. So are the people from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan who work here. The war in Ukraine is something they don't care about," she explained.
She also added that she sees no reason for hatred, as Russians leave huge sums on the islands.
"And it's obvious that wealthy Russians come to the Maldives and leave a fortune here. It seems to me that one of the reasons Russians like the Maldives is the lack of questions about Russia's attack on Ukraine," she confessed.
