Click! The red exit stamp on my passport paves the way from the Russian Federation to the European Union. Shortly before midnight I am allowed to leave Russian territory. The young border guard just holding my stamp gives me a friendly smile. “Have a good trip home! I guess you can not fly anymore,” he says. No, we can not. Not immediately though. But we can walk.
We pass through a small dam, then, beyond that, through a large iron gate and over a bridge surrounded by a net fence. A cold night breeze accompanies me as I drag my two suitcases into the Narva River, which marks the border between the Russian city of Ivangorod and the Estonian city named after the river. It is 162 meters (534.6 feet) from zero ground. On the left is a lane for trucks. to the right, below me, is the dark water. The illuminated medieval castle of Narva shines on the opposite bank. Behind me is a country whose medieval politics has united half the world in opposition.
Five minutes walk over the “Friendship Bridge” takes me not only to the other side, but to another world. The friendship that once existed between Russia and the European Union no longer exists.
Sanctions affect travel
Before crossing, I made a 10-hour train journey from Moscow and St. Petersburg to the Russian-Estonian border. After crossing, and one night in Narva, I will spend another four hours on a bus to the Estonian capital, Tallinn, followed by a two-hour flight from there to Berlin. Working as a correspondent in Russia for the past seven years, I was able to complete this trip in two and a half hours with a direct flight from Moscow to Berlin. This time it took a day and a half.
The route I took on foot across the border is not the only way you can leave Russia. Flights are still available. However, anyone wishing to fly to the West these days must be prepared to make a lot of money – and wait. Currently, flights through Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan and Armenia are extremely expensive and in high demand. EU airspace is closed to Russian aircraft, while Russian airspace is closed to Western aircraft.
There are also risks if you decide to fly. Some Russian airlines are no longer allowed to use aircraft leased to the West. There is therefore at least one theoretical risk that airline passengers will be stranded on the ground in a third country if the plane makes a stopover and is seized there. Airbus, based in the Netherlands, and US manufacturer Boeing have also suspended technical support for aircraft owned by Russian airlines.
Many Russians got stuck
There is certainly no mass exodus from Russia at this time. In light of the sanctions imposed by the West, there are not many people who can afford to leave the country, anyway – not even temporarily, because no one knows what will happen next. Some famous pop stars are rumored to have left the country. Some of them have publicly criticized the Russian attack on Ukraine and rumors say they fear they will be targeted by the security services.
Many people who remain in Russia fear rising inflation, rising unemployment and deteriorating living standards. The ruble has been falling for days and interest rates are rising. Some economic analysts warn that the Russian economy could shrink by up to 10% this year.
But in Narva, on the other side of the Friendship Bridge, Estonians are also worried that their financial situation will deteriorate. Everyone here is talking about the price of gasoline. has been going up for days.
And on my short night in an Estonian hotel, I can not help but notice that the temperature in my room is much lower than in Russia. Gas is expensive here.
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