Russia Facing Exodus of Tech Workers

Georgian opposition supporters hold flags and posters during their rally in central Tbilisi, Georgia, on Nov. 15, 2014. Over 30,000 opposition supporters rallied today in the Georgian capital against the government's Russian policy and the Kremlin's backing of separatists in the breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions. (Vano Shlamov/AFP/Getty Images)

News Analysis

The Russian Federation may be facing yet another development in its litany of troubles since President Vladimir Putin began the invasion of Ukraine: a mass exodus of highly skilled tech workers from Russia.

Because of the prevalence of remote work in the tech industry and the often cosmopolitan values of employees, many Russian tech workers have sought relocation since the outbreak of the war. According to the Russian technology trade group RAEK, between 50,000 and 70,000 Russian tech workers have left the country since the invasion, with many more likely to follow if the conflict continues to deteriorate living standards and opportunities in Russia proper.

While flights from Russia to Western Europe and the United States have been suspended, Russian tech workers have sought refuge in the countries of the former Soviet sphere of influence, many of which do not require visas for Russian travelers, unlike the centers of Western Europe.

Preeminent among relocation sites for Russian tech expatriates is the small Caucasian country of Georgia, which has lured Russian tech workers with affordable living, liberal policies, and relative political stability. Since the outbreak of the war, a flood of Russian tech workers has deluged the posh neighborhoods of Tbilisi, causing Airbnb prices to skyrocket in the small city in the mountains.

At least since the fall of the Soviet Union, the exodus of highly educated youth has been a perennial issue for Russia, as for much of Eastern Europe. While Russia has a long history of producing scientists, technicians, and inventors, many of the nation’s brightest have found little opportunity for their talents in the post-Soviet nation.

A 2019 report by The Atlantic Council analyzed the so-called “Putin diaspora,” which it considers the most recent of six waves of mass emigration in modern Russian history. According to the report’s findings, between 1.6 million and 2 million Russians had left the motherland since Putin came to power (as of the writing of the report).

“While emigration is not new to Russia,” the report noted, “those who have been emigrating since Putin’s return seem to be Russia’s most educated, active, and independent, coming from the middle and upper middle classes.”

This so-called “brain drain” is non-unique to Russia, and is a major concern for many developing economies throughout the world. However, the exodus of highly educated young professionals is not a universal experience for post-Soviet states: The three Baltic nations of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have prospered since the fall of the Soviet Union, having attracted significant tech investment in the 21st century.

However, this problem could get much worse in the near future if sanctions from the West continue to isolate the Russian Federation. Due to both political and economic factors, many of the country’s technical-professional class have already begun to feel that the grass is greener on the other side of the Dnieper River. The situation is unlikely to change if the direction of the war remains the same.