Canadian who moved his family to Russia for ‘traditional values’ says he no longer recommends it: permanent residency would require signing a Defense Ministry contract — Meduza
meduza.io
Canadian farmer Arend Feenstra, who moved to Russia through a streamlined immigration program for citizens of “unfriendly” countries who share “traditional values,” has complained that he cannot get a permanent residence permit. The news outlet Nizhny Novgorod Onlain drew attention to his YouTube video.

Canadian farmer Arend Feenstra, who moved to Russia through a streamlined immigration program for citizens of “unfriendly” countries who share “traditional values,” has complained that he cannot get a permanent residence permit. The news outlet Nizhny Novgorod Onlain drew attention to his YouTube video.

Feenstra received a three-year temporary residence permit in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region in early 2025. He then brought his wife and eight children to Russia and began farming.

But Feenstra has now learned that to replace his temporary residence permit with a permanent one, he must sign a contract with Russia’s Defense Ministry.

  • aceshigh@lemmy.worldEnglish
    241·
    7 hours ago

    It’s so funny that some people think Russia has traditional values. It was an atheist country up until 30 years ago, and today when people say they’re religious, what they mean is they go to church a couple of times a year at most. Not to mention, today they have a very high divorce rate/many single mother households. How are these traditional values?

    • lemmy_outta_here@lemmy.worldEnglish
      27·
      5 hours ago

      When people say they want traditional values, they mean racism, gay-bashing and misogyny. Russia has those. This loser is mostly upset because they want him to fight in ukraine in exchange for permanent residency.

      • eestileib@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        5·
        4 hours ago

        Yeah “traditional values” = “I get to hit the people who are forced into dependency on me”

        My father is a traditional values type and I remember him complaining to me when I was like ten that “spousal rape” was a thing.

        He also hit us.

      • aceshigh@lemmy.worldEnglish
        46·
        4 hours ago

        I’d argue that Russia has less misogyny. Women for example have always been in the workforce, and having a woman run a large department or be in charge of men is considered normal. It always has been.

        In terms of gay bashing, Russians are private people and they don’t care what you do in private. But this is true for all matters, not just being gay.

        I do agree about racism.

        • yucandu@lemmy.worldEnglish
          5·
          3 hours ago

          In January 2017, Russian lawmakers voted, 380–3, to decriminalize certain forms of domestic violence. Under the new law, first-time offenses that do not result in “serious bodily harm” carry a maximum fine of 30,000 rubles, up to 15 days’ administrative arrest, or up to 120 hours of community service.

          I think maybe you are confusing an idealized version of the USSR with modern day Putin’s Russia.

        • lemmy_outta_here@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          4 hours ago

          That’s an interesting point about the misogyny. The Soviet Union was relatively egalitarian between men and women, i suppose. i think the first female astronaut was soviet.

          Russian media is whatgave me the impression that russia was misogynistic, but i have no firsthand experience.

        • mzesumzira@leminal.spaceEnglish
          32·
          4 hours ago

          Even assuming that’s an accurate picture, “I don’t care what you do as long as I don’t have to acknowledge you exist” is still homophobia.

            • yucandu@lemmy.worldEnglish
              21·
              3 hours ago

              The statute amended the Russian law On Protecting Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development and the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses, to prohibit the distribution of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships” among minors. This definition includes materials that “raise interest in” such relationships, cause minors to “form non-traditional sexual predispositions”, or “[present] distorted ideas about the equal social value of traditional and non-traditional sexual relationships.”

              That sounds pretty specifically about criminalizing homosexuality.

              • LocalAreaMan@lemmy.worldEnglish
                1·
                26 minutes ago

                America and Europe don’t seem to mind so much, as long as you give them all your natural resources you can persecute whomever you want.

                You’re just pinkwashing imperialism.