I recently received this email (in English, so no need to translate). The author also wanted to remain anonymous, so I removed a few minor details. It reinforces the fear I’ve heard from other Russian academics and highlights how this war is hurting Russians as well.

 

“Thanks for your posts on Twitter and the translation of the letter from a Russian researcher.

I want to add something to his/her position. I don’t want to speak publicly and even registered this email to write you. I am Russian at a Russian university. I’ve seen a lot of messages on Twitter and Facebook about cowardly Russians who do not go to protests. We actually do. I actually did on the first day of the war. I don’t know how many people attend the protest, but what I know is that if I didn’t run from the police – I’d be among 50 who went to jail. Going to jail for such a reason means that your career is destroyed. I don’t want this, and I have family and children.

Let me be very clear on this. The situation is much worse in Ukraine. I do not risk my life, and in Ukraine people actually do. And I understand Ukrainian people who blame me. They have this right.

But I don’t want to listen to this from people who live in, say Berlin. Guys, you risk nothing apart from being a hero when you attend an antiwar protest in Berlin. Please do understand that it is not the same here. It is well described in the letter.

What do you do if you do not agree with the regime and you understand you can’t affect the regime change? You emigrate, right? I’ve written emails to some universities with open positions of assistant/associate professors. One reply: “Russians are not considered”. I’ve asked personally my friend at European university to speak with the dean, here’s his reply:

“My university has banned all Russian researchers from coming. They basically laughed at my request to support researchers from Russia”. Also, seems that Russians are being rejected from journals: “Thank you for reviewing this manuscript. I have to inform you that the editors of the Journal of Molecular Structure made a decision to ban the manuscripts submitted from Russian institutions. You must know that it is a ban on Russian institutions and not a judgment on scientists. Therefore I cannot accept the manuscript.” https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2022/03/01/journal-punishes-russian-scientists-wont-consider-their-papers/

I discussed removing myself from the list of coauthors of the paper which we are going to resubmit in a decent journal. They refuse to do this, and I am grateful for their support.

I don’t think the banning Russians in academia will help.

You can publish this email of you want.

I hope to meet you one day.”