Serbia becomes home for Russians fleeing war
01 February 2025
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Serbia has become a haven for thousands of Russians fleeing Putin's regime. With a lenient visa policy and strong cultural ties between the two countries, over 30,000 Russians registered for temporary residence in Serbia between early 2022 and mid 2023. But now, estimates suggest that the number could be anywhere between 100,000 and 400,000, making this one of the biggest immigration waves Serbia's seen in decades.
For a country of just under seven million people, the influx of Russian anti-war activists, young professionals, men evading military conscription, and young families seeking stability is rapidly reshaping Serbia's public life. Concentrated primarily in Belgrade and Novi Sad, Russians have played a key role in Serbia's recent business surge: the number of Russian-owned businesses skyrocketed from 996 in 2021 to 13,864 today.
Belgrade now has Russian-owned cafés, kindergartens, supermarkets, bookstores, restaurants, hair salons, and even a map on Google Maps titled 'Little Russia' that serves as a guide to finding Russian businesses. In Dorćol, a neighborhood at the heart of local city life, Russian is now predominantly heard in the streets, and cafés serve syrniki pancakes alongside traditional Serbian rakija.
 | Nevena Vračar Despite the tangible economic benefits and numerous community initiatives that try to connect locals and expats, integration remains tricky. Many Russians work remotely and remain socially distant. Rental prices in Belgrade have increased by 71% since 2019, driven by inflation and affluent Russian expats pricing out the local population. Though the market is now stabilising, housing in Belgrade has become increasingly unaffordable, especially for young Serbs. Beneath the surface, political tensions continue to bubble. Serbia supports Ukraine's territorial integrity but refuses to sanction Russia. Some anti-war Russians face hurdles in obtaining residence permits, while the pro-Putin sentiments they were hoping to escape, to their misfortune, are mirrored by many in Serbia. |
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