A small number of Americans have moved to Russia in recent years, saying they want to escape what they see as a liberal, secular United States. The Kremlin has encouraged them: in 2024, President Vladimir Putin created a residence permit for foreigners who reject "destructive neoliberal ideologies," and Russian officials have said about 1,500 people applied, including more than 100 Americans.

Two Texas families became the best-known examples — one of them because the father joined the Russian army.

The Huffmans: from Houston to the front

Derek and DeAnna Huffman left Humble, a suburb of Houston, with their three daughters, saying American schools and media were "indoctrinating" their children. They moved to a community for English-speaking expatriates outside Moscow, run by Tim Kirby, an American who has lived in Russia since 2006 and supports Putin, and documented their new life for thousands of YouTube followers (Kyiv Post).

In May 2025, Derek Huffman, who had no military experience, enlisted in the Russian army, hoping to speed up his citizenship. His wife later said he had expected to work as a welder in a repair unit but was sent toward the front after only weeks of training, unable to follow commands in Russian (Euromaidan Press). In July 2025, online posts claimed he had been killed; fact-checkers found no evidence for that, and his family said he was alive (Lead Stories). The Kremlin said foreigners are free to volunteer.

In late October 2025, Huffman reappeared in videos celebrating his daughter's birthday and receiving a Russian passport after a six-month deployment. "I'm happy I'm still alive," he said.

The Hares: from Abilene to Ivanovo

Leo and Chantelle Hare moved from Abilene, Texas, to the city of Ivanovo, northeast of Moscow, with their three sons. "It was the promise of a country that wouldn't promote the LGBT agenda," Leo Hare said in 2025 interviews, citing Russia's laws banning the "promotion" of LGBTQ relationships. Their new life proved harder than expected: a rental fell through, they spent a winter working on a farm in exchange for housing, and they said they lost $50,000 in a car-import business that turned out to be a scam. Their sons, unable to pass Russian-language exams for public school, are homeschooled. Still, the family said they had settled into an apartment and made friends.

Why it matters

The families' stories have been promoted by Russian state media as evidence that Westerners admire Russia's "traditional values," and seized on by critics as cautionary tales. They also show how Russia, short of soldiers for its war in Ukraine, has recruited foreigners with offers of money and citizenship. For the war itself, see our timeline of the Russia-Ukraine war and peace talks.

Sources