Anti-war
Pro-democracy

Who We Are

When Putin launched an unjustified military attack against Ukraine, people of Russian culture and origin both in the country and around the world were shocked and outraged.

Urged to do something to counter the destruction and bloodshed, writer Boris Akunin, actor Mikhail Baryshnikov and economist Sergei Guriev founded True Russia. Headed up by managing director Oleg Radzinsky, the nonprofit organisation helps those affected by Putin’s war and unites people of Russian culture around the world in their will to support the victims of the military aggression.

Our work is supported by many prominent individuals such as Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich, poet Tomas Venclova, musician Andrey Makarevich, writer Lyudmila Ulitskaya, journalist Leonid Parfyonov, conductor Vladimir Jurowski, musicians Tatiana and Sergey Nikitin and many more distinguished personalities.

Our Values

We stand with Ukraine and oppose the criminal war that Putin has unleashed on our neighbour.

We believe that Putin does not speak or act for all Russians and that true Russia does not equal Putin.

Our mission is simple: even though we cannot stop the war, we can and want to help its victims, first and foremost, Ukrainian refugees. We also support Russian refugees — those who did not wish to stay in Putin's Russia or had to flee from political persecution.

We will continue our humanitarian mission until Russia is a democratic society living in peaceful dialogue with other nations.

True Russia is not a political movement and not affiliated with any party or politician.

What We Do

True Russia’s first move was to support the efforts of The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) in helping Ukrainians fleeing the war zone. Over £1,000,000 was raised in the first three months, and 100% of these funds helped the work by DEC charities and their local partners in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries, meeting people's immediate and longer-term needs.

True Russia’s appeal via GoFundMe was supported by over 5,000 people from more than 80 countries.

Following the first humanitarian project, a digital database of charitable projects by Russian-speaking communities across the world was launched. This True Russia resource hub provides information, help and advice for those who have fled the war in Ukraine or left Russia, listing dozens of initiatives from more than 15 countries. It helps to find evacuation, relocation, accommodation, employment opportunities and counselling support.

True Russia also awards grants for humanitarian aid projects to charities working directly in Ukraine and with refugees relocated to other countries.


* TRUE RUSSIA LTD is currently applying to the UK Charity Commission for an approval of a registered charity status but does not have such status at the present. 

Contact Us

Inquiries & Suggestions
info@truerussia.org
Project Proposals
project@truerussia.org
Media Outreach
press@truerussia.org
Elena Servettaz

A Few Words From Our Founders

Boris Akunin
Founder
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Founder
Sergei Guriev
Founder
Oleg Radzinsky
Managing Director

The dictator who currently holds power in the Russian Federation has launched a criminal war. The horror unleashed on our kindred people in Ukraine is becoming a true humanitarian catastrophe.

The hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who have lost their homes, their livelihoods, their loved ones, and even their lives are bearing the full brunt of the blow. But all of us who speak Russian and belong to the Russian cultural world feel the blow too. The very word ‘Russian’ has become toxic.

Most of us are far away from the conflict, and from Russia. We may be powerless to stop this nightmare, but we do not have the right to remain idle.

The number of refugees will keep rising. The humanitarian situation will worsen. The very least we can do is help the people fleeing from the horror that Putin has started in Russia’s name.

The real Russia is bigger, stronger, and more durable than Putin. This Russia lives and will outlive him. The dictator is fighting a war not only with Ukraine, but against the better part of his own country. He is smothering Russia’s future.

Let us prove to the rest of the world that Putin does not speak and act for all Russians. And let us prove to ourselves that we are capable of real concrete action, not just words. Let us help our Ukrainian friends.

Please donate to help Ukrainian refugees.

Russians of the world, unite against the war!

Supporters to Our Cause

Vladimir Jurowski
Conductor
Lyudmila Ulitskaya
Writer
A war has started on February 24th, 2022. I always had thought that my generation, born during World War II, was lucky, that it would live their entire lives without any new wars, as written in the gospels, ‘peacefully, painlessly and with nothing to be ashamed of’. Apparently, we failed at that. It’s impossible to foresee the consequences of these events. The madness of one man and his loyal accomplices defines the fate of the whole country. We can only try to guess how history books will describe these events fifty years from now, and what opinion psychiatrists will have on the mental health of the leader of our country. Pain, fear and shame are our main feelings today. The pain, because the war is destroying life: the grass and trees, animals and their offspring, humans and their children. Fear, because all living beings have a biological instinct to preserve their own and their offspring’s life. Shame, because it is obvious that the leadership of our country is responsible for this situation, which may bring much more distress to humanity as a whole. A share of the responsibility lies with us, the contemporaries of these tragic events, who have been unable to foresee or prevent them. It is crucial to stop this war, which escalates with every passing moment and to counter propaganda lies that are being spread to our compatriots throughout all the media.
Andrey Makarevich
Musician

Truerussia Projects

True Russia in the Press

CBS Today Mikhail Baryshnikov: "It is Putin's war. He is trying to create a new history of Russia. He does not care about people at all. How is it possible? He has kids himself! How is it possible?" 19.06.2022 Вся такая Монгайт «Мы на стороне тех, кого убивает Путин»: Гуриев, Акунин, Барышников начали проект «Настоящая Россия» 21.05.2022 NTV Interview mit Oleg Radsinski "Mit Russland als Imperium ist es vorbei" 02.05.2022 Le Point Guerre en Ukraine: des intellectuels de la diaspora russe à l'offensive 14.04.2022 Radio Canada Ohdio Entrevue avec Elena Servettaz: Comment la diaspora russe se mobilise 11.04.2022 The Village Как помочь пострадавшим от боевых действий в Украине Список благотворительных проектов 07.04.2022 Meduza «Было страшно втягивать коллег и родных» Белорусы и россияне создали несколько благотворительных организаций для помощи украинцам. Как они работают? 02.04.2022 Al Jazeera Russian author Akunin: Putin sees Ukraine as a threat to his rule 25.03.2022 Vanity Fair Mikhail Baryshnikov on a New Group Effort to Support Ukrainian Relief: “Putin’s Actions Cannot Stand” 24.03.2022 The Guardian Mikhail Baryshnikov: Do not punish Russian artists and athletes for war 20.03.2022 Vatican news Baryshnikov: “Mi unisco all’appello del Papa, bisogna fermare la follia in Ucraina” 19.03.2022 Русская служба BBC «Думаю, что последняя глава путинского государства началась». Борис Акунин о войне и «Настоящей России» 17.03.2022 Le Soir Mikhaïl Baryshnikov: «Les Ukrainiens se battent pour nous tous» 17.03.2022 Новая газета «Русским будет очень трудно» Борис Акунин — о создании гуманитарно-культурного движения «Настоящая Россия» 16.03.2022 RTS Sergeï Guriev évoque la guerre en Ukraine et ses conséquences pour la Russie 16.03.2022 La Repubblica Mikhail Baryshnikov: "Gli ucraini lottano per tutti noi" 14.03.2022 NewsMax Russian Intellectuals to Newsmax: 'True Russians' Worldwide Must Rally Against 'Mad' Dictator Putin 13.03.2022 Le Figaro Mikhail Baryshnikov: «Les Ukrainiens se battent pour nous tous» 13.03.2022 La Regle de Jeu Russes de tous les pays, unissez-vous contre la guerre! 10.03.2022

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