Over 1,100 foreigners granted ‘anti-woke’ Russian visas last year

Last year, over 1,100 foreign citizens were granted Russian visas based on their stated commitment to "traditional values." This initiative was established as Russia has intensified its anti-liberal rhetoric, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently criticized ideologies he deems contrary to "traditional family values," such as LGBTQ+ rights and mixed-gender bathrooms, viewing them as indicators of Western moral decline. In 2024, Putin signed a decree to provide humanitarian support and visas to individuals from countries that he stated impose "destructive neoliberal ideological policies contrary to traditional Russian spiritual and moral values."