About 2 years ago, after the announcement of mobilization in Russia, a huge number of Russians came to Tashkent. Some left Uzbekistan soon, but others fell in love with this country and stayed here.

Tashkent is traditionally hospitable to the representatives of all nations, and this case was no exception. In 2022 the Russians (the unexpected emigres, who didn’t want to participate in the war) created the "The Breakfasts in Tashkent" club for communication. Its members still meet every day. They discuss tourist routes and city events, share their experience of employment and running their businesses... We asked Konstantin, the founder of "The Breakfasts", and Kirill, one of the regular members of the club, to tell us about this community and about their life in Tashkent. Each of this two expats is 48 years old (although the age range of all club members is quite large), each has a family and a job, but they always find time for "The Breakfasts in Tashkent".

Konstantin's story. New perspectives and culture shock 

– Uzbekistan is a special place for me. I lived here in 2011 and 2012, fell in love with this country back then. And now I see how it has blossomed, just become different. First of all I like the local people. Probably, this is the only country where Russians were accepted with open arms. Uzbek people began to treat us like brothers. I think that is the only reason why Uzbekistan has won the heart of any expat from Russia.

One of the reasons why I started gathering Russians expats in the club was because I saw that they did not know much about Uzbekistan, but I did. I began to share my knowledge. The cultural code here is very close to ours, many Uzbeks speak Russian. And yet, for the first six months, almost all expats experienced culture shock – this is a psychological concept. When you change your life abruptly, you begin to "break" psychologically, you fall into depression. One of my tasks was to help people with adaptation during this period. We all arrived at the end of September and the beginning of October, and somewhere around November this psychological phenomenon began to have a very strong influence on people. I started inviting psychologists for consultations. By the summer of 2023, everyone gradually came to their senses. Many began to experience a strong emotional upsurge: a new job, new friends, new perspectives... To this day, those who have moved to Tashkent and have problems with adaptation, turn to us for help.

Uzbekistan has changed Russians a lot. It not only opened up new perspectives for us. It made us understand a lot about ourselves. It gave us the opportunity to look at Russia from afar, from a different angle. To look at the Russians. To discover good sides and many not so good ones. And when you start to realize this, you start to change. We have learned a lot about ourselves. We understood how people in Russia treat other countries... Also, many of us got the experience of moving to a new country. It is difficult, scary, but very interesting. You become more confident in yourself, you find resources within yourself.

We can give a lot to Uzbekistan. First of all we can share our knowledge. Almost all people in the club are good experts in their spheres. Engineers, neurosurgeons, programmers, project managers... And everyone is ready to work and create value for Uzbekistan.

Konstantin's story (continuation). The history of the club 

– The history of the club began in the fall of 2022, when about 40 thousand Russian people arrived in Tashkent almost at the same time. It was a very strange time. Many people seemed to appear out of nowhere. They were trying to get used to a new city, a new country... Basically, a new life. And no one knew what was going on. It's like being hit on the head with a frying pan and trying to scrape yourself off the asphalt. I walked the streets of Tashkent with headphones and listened to music so as not to think about anything. I was completely alone (my family arrived later). One day on the Taras Shevchenko Street I saw Russians sitting in a café, and the idea arose to meet them. Then I started to invite Russian people to the club everywhere I met them, invited everyone for coffee, spread the information in different chats – wherever I was not banned for it. At first I had breakfast alone, about ten days later the first person came up, then the second, then seven came... That's how the club's history began.

...In conclusion, I want to thank all the Uzbeks for accepting us as a part of their family. Here, people pay attention to your situation and start offering help: "Let me feed you", "If you need, you can spend the night at my place”, "I'll help you find an apartment now." I've experienced it, I’ve seen it more than once... And it's so heartbreaking! I'm just grateful to the Uzbeks for this! I'm a bit ashamed, to be honest, because I understand that if an Uzbek gets into such a situation in Russia, I don't think the Russians would offere him help like that. On the contrary, Uzbeks are surviving in my country. There’s a huge difference between how Uzbeks are received in Russia and how we, Russians, are received in Uzbekistan. I think this is also a good lesson for everyone here.

Kirill's story. "We became kinder in Uzbekistan" 

– I had a very hard time surviving my first winter in Tashkent, I was alone (my wife was able to join me much later). I came to "The Breakfasts" in June 2023 – and this is when the NORMAL life began. I met a community of people with whom I can talk on all topics, from quantum physics to the history of the ancient times. I knew nothing about Uzbekistan, now I discovered the best part of the country. The first year of living in a new country is the process of adaptation, trying to get your thoughts and feelings in order. After that you start building your life, in a year you are already involved in the local community, you get the idea of the local business climate, business etiquette. In general, the ability to build a community with rules that exclude toxic communication is very important for those who grew up in an atomized post-Soviet society. The ability to trust each other, to help is an excellent trait of character. I can help people not just anonymously, with donations, but with specific actions, for instance, by accepting someone into my home. There are people who after relocation to Tashkent need help to start a new life. This is how friendly connections are built. Here, in Uzbekistan, one gets the knowledge and experience that is almost impossible to get in Russia. Moreover, whenever we meet a representative of Central Asia, now we know how to start a dialogue so that communication would go well.

Of course, we also influence Uzbek people: relocation of the Russians greatly shifts the Uzbek business climate towards its globalization. To talk about how Uzbekistan influences us I want to point out: if you want to be successful here, you can’t be rude. Even if you are a misanthrope, you must be very friendly. The environment and social climate here demand that you must be kind. Those Russians who didn't agree with it left the country. Those who stayed here are the people who compatible with Uzbek kindness and friendliness. So we are becoming kinder here. One more important thing: Uzbekistan is a phenomenally safe country. You can forget your phone in a café and leave, and then come back and pick your phone up. We know this firsthand. In this relaxing atmosphere, I overcame my depression. On the contrary, in Russia I often suffered from depression and headaches. In general, I found my new life in Uzbekistan. I became much more positive, open to people. I regret that I did not come here earlier. If I face the necessity to leave Uzbekistan, it would be sad. And, of course, talking of Uzbekistan, one cannot help but say how delicious the food is here. By the way, there was a restaurant called "Brichmulla" in St. Petersburg, and now I know where is the place it was named after.

Kirill's story (continuation). The church wedding in Bukhara

– My wife and I had been planning to get church wedding for a long time – and the other day it happened in Bukhara, in the Church of the Archangel Michael, which is located in the building of the old railway station. The thing is, I recently knew some amazing information: the architect of this building was a representative of my family – Roman Nikolaevich Verkhovskoy. The railway station in Bukhara was one of his first objects. The edifice was built in 1916. When my wife and I were in Bukhara for the first time, we did not pay much attention to the railway station. But then we found out that there was a church in the building. In post-Soviet times, the railway station was converted into a church. Then it turned out that our friend from Russia, who was born and raised in Bukhara, was a parishioner of this church. At our request, she got in touch with the priest of this temple. He turned out to be a caring person. He was glad that we visited his church. Thanks to this, our wedding in Bukhara took place in a wonderful atmosphere.

Maria Osepyants