Correspondent of Siberia.Realii Andrey Novashov wrote an article about why shelters for relocants from Russia began to be massively closed in the middle of 2024. A significant place in the article is given to Pristanište-a shelter that has not been closed.
The article was reprinted by the publication Present Time. Here is an excerpt about Pristanište in its entirety.
‘Shelter’, Budva
The shelter in Montenegrin Budva, opened on March 5, 2022 by the Pristanište foundation for Ukrainians, Belarusians and Russians, still has no shortage of guests, and its founders do not even think about closing the shelter, said Yana, a public relations specialist at the foundation.
The very first residents and administrators of the shelter were a married couple from Kharkiv. Alexander and Diana are Russian and Ukrainian. A few days after the full-scale invasion, they went to visit friends in Moldova, where they were contacted by the shelter’s executive director, Svetlana Shmeleva, whom Alexander knew from the Moscow School of Civic Education, and offered to come to Montenegro. The couple accepted the invitation.
‘I don’t call Pristanište Shelter. This is a community of friends where you feel free and safe. We were the first residents of the shelter, and we immediately wanted to do something. We met Ukrainian refugees and Russian emigrants and put them in rooms. We bought food and helped new arrivals pay the tourist tax. I remember that a large family with children came from Kramatorsk. They brought everything they could by car, and everything else was left in Kramatorsk, where it was impossible to return. There are two families from Odessa. A journalist from Belgorod, Russia. She just couldn’t stay in her hometown, which was covered with zetas, from which rockets were launched at Ukraine, ‘says Diana about the first weeks of the Shelter’s work.
Later, Diana and her husband moved to Germany, but continued to work as the SMM manager of the Shelter.
Alexey, who lived in Tyumen before emigrating, stayed at the Shelter only recently – in June 2024.
‘I’m not an activist, just an ordinary engineer. I’ve just been against the war and Putin’s policies since 2014. I went to rallies, but I didn’t get caught. Before the criminal case was initiated, I didn’t have a single administrative office,’ says Alexey.
For the reposts of Medusa and four comments in social networks, a criminal case was opened against him for ‘military fakes’. First sent to a pre-trial detention center, then transferred to house arrest, and in May 2024, Alexey managed to escape from Russia. I spent two weeks in Georgia and decided to move to Montenegro.
‘For us, political people, this is now the safest place. In Georgia and other post-Soviet countries, they may be persecuted, even killed. There were no such precedents in Montenegro. And closer to Europe. I’m going to France next, I hope to get a humanitarian visa – ‘ Alexey explains his decision.
When he arrived in Montenegro, he checked into a shelter on the same day, where he had previously signed off with the volunteers.
‘It’s a big house. There are about 20 one-and two-bedroom apartments there. I moved in alone on the top floor under the attic. A room is a hotel room with everything you need: a bed, shower, toilet, air conditioning, TV, Internet and even a refrigerator with groceries. On the second day, I found a job through the Shelter. I got a job as a car mechanic in a car service that was opened by Ukrainians seven years ago. The salary is decent, I rented an apartment by the sea. I have no problems communicating with Ukrainians. They know that I am against the war and support Ukraine, ‘ says Alexey.
Pristanište – is an atypical shelter, more like a three-star hotel than a hostel. Accept families. They are even settled with pets. But, as public relations specialist Yana Zubtsova explains, you can live here for no more than two weeks and the selection of applicants is quite strict. Shelter was created and exists for those who suffered from the war. Priority is given to Ukrainians.
‘Not only for refugees, but also for those Ukrainians who are not going to leave their country for a long time, but come to our shelter just to sleep for two weeks without bombs.
Many Russians who have chosen Montenegro as a relocation country have a psychological barrier: how will I communicate with Ukrainians? I’ve been through it myself. Montenegro reconciles. Here, even at the domestic level, Russians can help Ukrainian families who find themselves in an even more difficult situation than we do. For many Russians, this possibility of peaceful neighborhood with Ukrainians is a very powerful anchor to stay in Montenegro, ‘ explains Yana.
She says that the Shelter has about 400 volunteers of various types: drivers who bring new guests from the airport, psychologists, tutors who ‘lead’ families. In addition, many former guests of the Shelter became microsponsors of the shelter. Small but monthly donations help you continue working.
You can read the full text here.
