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Ark (organisation)

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The Ark Project
Ковче́г
Formation10 March 2022
FounderAnastasia Burakova
TypeNGO
HeadquartersIstanbul, Yerevan, Warsaw, Astana, Aktobe, Almaty
LeaderAnastasia Burakova
AffiliationsAnti-War Committee of Russia
WebsiteEnglish - https://kovcheg.live/en/ark/
Russian - https://kovcheg.live/

The Ark (Russian: Ковчег) is an international project that aims to support Russian emigrants who oppose Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and seek refuge abroad. Led by a Russian lawyer and human rights activists Anastasia Burakova, The Ark provides legal and psychological support, integration assistance. The organization has established shelters intermittently in Istanbul, Yerevan, Warsaw, Astana, Aktobe, and Almaty.

History

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The Ark was founded by a Russian lawyer and human rights activist, former head of the Open Russia foundation, Anastasia Burakova. The project was inspired by the House of United Belarus in Vilnius that united Belarus migrants fleeing the repressions after the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests.[1][2][3] The Arc received initial support from the Anti-War Committee founded in 2022 by the Russian politician Dmitry Gudkov and entrepreneur Mikhail Khodorkovsky.[4][5]

The Ark began operations on 10 March 2022[2] and received approximately 5,000 inquiries in the first 24 hours. The initial shelter network capable of accommodating 25 people at time was rapidly expanded to 150 spaces in the first month.[1][2] By August 2022, the project's Telegram channel grew to 70,000 followers. The number of volunteers that managed inquiries, provided advice, and helped new migrants reached 650.[6] Following the mobilization in Russia, the Arc opened a shelter in Warsaw, two shelters in Almaty and shelters in Actobe and Astana to house people fleeing from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Tajikistan.[7][8][9][10]

On 28 March 2022, the Ark launched a free group and individual psychological support service, which assisted 85,000 people in 8 months, and free language courses.[11][2] In Summer 2022, the project opened a resource center in Yerevan, which hosted meetings and lectures. By the early 2023, the project's audience in Telegram exceeded 155,000 followers. Around 2,000 volunteers provided 100,000 legal consultations. Nearly 1,300 people participated in language courses. The project also planned to open diaspora centers in new cities to provide coworking spaces and facilitate the development of community projects.[12][13][14]

In late 2022, State Duma member Vasily Piskaryov approached the Russian Prosecutor General's Office with a request to designate the Ark among 30 other organizations as "undesirable or extremist" in Russia, though no legal actions followed.[11] In early December 2023, the Russian Ministry of Justice designated The Ark and its founder Anastasia Burakova as "foreign agents" for anti-war stance and cooperation with other "foreign agents".[15]

Activities

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Emergency, adaptation, and support assistance

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Due to the outbreak of full-scale war and political repression in 2022, an estimated 500,000 to 1,3 million people left Russia in a year.[16][17] The Ark provides psychological support, language classes, legal advice on obtaining residence permits, opening bank accounts, and acquiring visas. The project coordinates volunteers and runs an information channel and a job board.[14][1][5] Organizers conduct group foreign language classes and seminars to help forced migrants adjust to their new countries.[18] In Yerevan and Istanbul, the Ark offers up to two weeks long accommodation.[5][2] During peak times, the shelter network housed up to several hundred people.[1]

Community-building and support

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The Arc organizes educational webinars and meetings with pre-war emigrants, and facilitates sharing of experience.[12] They also plan to cooperate with business projects that relocated because of war and create professional courses and a platform for individual services. Volunteers assist emigrants in obtaining new professions and legalization of (work) documents.[19] Volunteers assist with online professional retraining courses and webinars on document legalization.[20]

International advocacy

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The project advocates for emigrants with anti-war political stance and raises awareness of the Russian anti-war movement globally. Anastasia Burakova and other members of the Ark address the anti-war activities, dissent in Russia, and repressions at prominent venues, such as the European Liberal Forum,[21] the European Parliament,[22] the Friedrich Naumann Foundation,[23] the Centre for Nordic Studies at the University of Helsinki,[24] and the Körber Foundation.[25]

Political activities

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In Summer 2023, the Ark launched the "By The First Flight" (Russian: Первым рейсом)initiative to educate emigrants the best practices of democratic governance and develop a legal framework for future reforms in Russia.[26]

The Ark also conducts sociological surveys among fifth-wave migrants, revealing significant political engagement. According to surveys, 82% of participants have left Russia for political reasons, 95% wanted to influence the situation in Russia from abroad, and 67% intended to participate in the Russian elections from abroad.[27] Burakova led civic activism courses in Belgrad and other cities popular among the Russian emigrants.[28] The Ark participated in the Berlin Conference addressing anti-war sentiment and repressions in Russia.[29]

Project structure and funding

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The Ark received its initial funding from Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the co-founder of the Anti-War Committee of Russia, which allowed it to launch the first shelters.[1] In the first month, the project raised up to US$51,000 in donations, partially from the long-term emigrants. Of USD 100,000 raised in the initial 2.5 months, up to 20,000 was allocated to the shelter network. The Arc relies on crowdfunding, advertising, and partnerships with enterprises as its primary sources of funding.[1][14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f ""Место, где будет возможность отдышаться" Из-за войны россияне уезжают в Турцию и Армению. Там им помогает проект "Ковчег". Вот его история". Meduza (in Russian). 5 April 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Пять тысяч обращений в первый день. Кто и как помогает россиянам, белорусам и украинцам уехать в безопасное место". Idel.Реалии (in Russian). 15 April 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  3. ^ ""Находиться в такой день в центре — уже правонарушение"". Isories (in Russian). 3 February 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  4. ^ "Ходорковский, Каспаров и Гуриев создали Антивоенный комитет России". Meduza (in Russian). 28 February 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Антивоенный комитет России запустил программу помощи российским эмигрантам". Meduza (in Russian). 10 March 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  6. ^ ""Теперь каждая страна понимает, что этот режим может нести угрозу ее безопасности". Интервью с Анастасией Бураковой ("Ковчег")". Republic (in Russian). 18 August 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  7. ^ Ermashev, Timur (30 October 2022). ""До этого приходилось спать на полу". Как в Казахстане работает шелтер для бежавших от мобилизации россиян". Current time (in Russian). Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  8. ^ ""По себе знаю, как это тяжело, когда ты внезапно уезжаешь из страны". Что стало с шелтерами для россиян в Казахстане". Idel.Реалии (in Russian). 29 November 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  9. ^ Skopin, Maxim (27 October 2022). "В Алматы заработал приют для российских мигрантов". ORDA (in Russian). Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  10. ^ Dmitriev, Sergey (10 March 2023). ""Ковчег" российской эмиграции: как противники Путина и войны спасаются в Польше от репрессий". RFI (in Russian). Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  11. ^ a b Orlova, Katya (30 November 2022). "Русский "Ковчег"". Novaya Gazeta. EU (in Russian). Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  12. ^ a b ""Сообщество — это суперсила"". Colta (in Russian). 29 September 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  13. ^ Chelishcheva, Vera (7 April 2023). ""Самое простое — купить билет, дальше все сложно"". Novaya Gazeta (in Russian). Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  14. ^ a b c ""Место, где можно отдышаться": как эмигранты создают сообщества и помогают друг другу". Forbes (in Russian). 6 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  15. ^ "Минюст объявил "иностранными агентами" проект "Ковчег" и его руководительницу Анастасию Буракову". Mediazone (in Russian). 1 December 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  16. ^ "800 тысяч россиян могли покинуть страну в 2022 году". Если быть точным (in Russian). 16 March 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  17. ^ Safronova, Victoria (25 May 2023). "Новые российские эмигранты. Кто они, сколько их и куда уехали?". BBC (in Russian). Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  18. ^ Eidman, Igor (1 December 2023). "Минюст признал "иноагентом" социолога Игоря Эйдмана и "Ковчег"". Radio Liberty (in Russian). Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  19. ^ Sharifulin, Valery (25 March 2023). ""Ковчег": год проекту взаимопомощи российским политэмигрантам". Activatica.org (in Russian). Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  20. ^ Курс по Бизнес-аналитике. Ковчег (in Russian). YouTube. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  21. ^ "ALDE Party Congress will highlight how female political leadership advances liberalism". ALDE Party. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  22. ^ The Day After. Brussels Dialogue. Panel 5 (audio only). YouTube. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  23. ^ "Navalny's Legacy and the Future of Democratic Forces in Russia". the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. 25 March 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  24. ^ "Seminar Parallel Societies". University of Helsinki. 18 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  25. ^ "Im Kampf um ihr Land: Russlands Opposition". the Körber Foundation. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  26. ^ "Создан проект для активистов, готовых "вернуться и построить демократическую Россию"" (in Russian). Spektr. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  27. ^ "На президентские выборы релокантов зовут, а не приглашают" (in Russian). NG. 18 October 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  28. ^ "Школа активизма от РДО в Белграде!" (in Russian). Российское Демократическое Общество Сербии. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  29. ^ Budykin, Igor (21 July 2022). ""Мир должен знать, что не все россияне за войну"" (in Russian). Radio Prague. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
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