Maria, 17, from Russia
A picture Maria took in Moscow
Interview
Q: Could you introduce yourself?
My name is Maria. I’m 17. I was born in America, but both my parents are Russian. My mum was born in Kazakhstan but is ethnically Russian, so culturally I’ve always identified as Russian.
Q: Do you remember how you first heard about the war in Ukraine?
Yes, I remember it exactly. It was my mum’s birthday — 23 February 2022. We heard the news that morning. It felt like the air changed. We didn’t understand what was happening, and most of my family lives in Moscow, so fear came before anything else.
There was this rush of information and also… this sense that information wasn’t fully accessible anymore. Even early on, things online felt restricted. It was scary in a way that’s hard to explain.
Q: Has the war changed the way people treat you here?
In my old school, yes. We had “culture day,” where everyone wore traditional clothing and each nationality had a stand. There was no Russian stand that year.
I wore a traditional Russian dress anyway, and people got annoyed. When I asked the teachers why Russia wasn’t included, they said they “couldn’t provide one because of the situation in the world.”
There were several of us with Russian backgrounds, and all of us felt suddenly erased, like the culture we grew up with wasn’t welcome.
Q: Have you returned to Russia since 2022?
No. My dad sometimes travels, but my parents don’t want me going.
Some friends of ours had their school graduation cancelled because drones were allegedly spotted above their campus, and after that my dad said he didn’t want me in Moscow at all.
I also know that you can’t really speak freely there right now, which adds another layer of worry.
Q: Do you miss it?
So much. I lived there for a year during COVID. We used to spend Christmas or summers there. I miss my house, and the people — my friends, my family. It’s strange to miss somewhere but also be scared of going back.
Q: What do you think people misunderstand about Russian youth today?
People often assume that all Russians support what’s happening.
But many young people don’t agree at all — they’re just scared. Some don’t have access to full information; others are silenced by their environment.
I think people forget that a government and its people are not the same thing. Most young people just want safety and a normal life.
Q: Have you ever felt judged for things happening elsewhere — things you’re not responsible for?
Not really in my current school, but I have felt it in other places, especially around my Jewish identity.
I’ve always been Jewish, and a couple of years ago I wore my Star of David necklace near a protest — not connected to anything, I just happened to be walking past. People pointed at me, and it scared me so much that I stopped wearing it.
A friend of mine at university even had a Star of David pinned to her dorm door without her permission.
There’s a lot of fear rising for young Jewish people. It’s isolating, even when no one says anything directly.
Q: Do you feel connected to what’s happening in the Middle East?
Yes, because it affects people I love. Some of my cousins left Israel so they wouldn’t be drafted, and I have family friends currently serving.
Even if you’re far away, when people you love are scared, you feel it too.
Q: What would you want people to take away from your story?
That I stand for peace — honestly and simply.
I don’t think anyone should be harmed because of where they’re born, or what language they speak, or their religion. Young people in Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Palestine — anywhere — are often trapped between things they did not choose.
Sometimes they can’t speak out. Sometimes information is filtered. Sometimes it’s dangerous to say what you think.
I just want people to remember that behind every country, every headline, there are ordinary families who want exactly what everyone else wants: safety, freedom, and a chance to grow up without fear.