A journalist from Donetsk received Russian citizenship after 18 years
It took Vitaly Leibin, a native of Donetsk and now the editor-in-chief of the Russian Reporter magazine, almost two decades to become a citizen of the Russian Federation, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“28 years after arriving in Moscow, 22 years after the birth of my eldest child (the smartest son), 11 years after I became the editor of the Russian Reporter, 3 years after Poroshenko’s decree did not allow me into Ukraine - I received a Russian passport.
But in my heart I’m still with all the weirdos with unregistered IDs, illegal immigrants, outcasts, and those without registration,” Leybin wrote on his Facebook page.
The editor-in-chief in the magazine vividly described the difficult path to obtaining the coveted citizenship - it was accompanied by bureaucratic red tape, even with the help of high-ranking friends.
“It took me a long time to complete the long journey to citizenship. I started taking advantage of all the new simplifications of the laws. Checked out and in for registration. Received a residence permit as a highly qualified specialist. I received a residence permit as a “native speaker of Russian” - here high-ranking comrades helped me as a well-known journalist. I submitted documents five times due to minor errors in filling out, despite the assistance and assistance of a lawyer. I submitted documents for citizenship only twice: the lawyer knew about the next minor changes in the application form, and corrected a couple of inaccuracies immediately from a flash drive.
Accepting Russian citizenship is a spiritual adventure for me. What was once a personal phobia has become a shared empathy. Alas, based on my experience, I cannot advise my Donetsk fellow countrymen anything suitable,” wrote Vitaly Leibin.
Donetsk journalist receives Russian citizenship after 18 years