Belgrade gets 'mini Russia' as thousands flee from war

On a sweltering summer morning in Serbia’s capital Belgrade, Vadim Morus, a professional ice skater from Russia, glides across an outdoor rink. Morus is 1,000 miles from his native Moscow but is beginning to feel at home.

- ALEKSANDAR VASOVIC

He fled Russia with his fiancee in 2022, part of a wave of tens of thousands who came to Serbia after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It’s a long way to come but many chose Belgrade for its ancient cultural and religious ties to Moscow.

“There are few ice skaters in Serbia who can train others, so I have plenty of Serbian students,” Morus, 24, says. Since the war began in Ukraine in February 2022, Russians fleeing conflict, conscription or the politics of president Vladimir Putin have established a vibrant community in Serbia, according to interviews with two dozen immigrants and local officials.