Canadian farmer faces military contract requirement for Russian residency

Arend Feenstra, a Canadian farmer who relocated his family to the Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia to escape Western ideologies, reports that he is being pressured to join the military to secure permanent residency.

Feenstra, a conservative Christian who moved with his wife and eight children two years ago, initially utilized a program for foreigners supporting ‘traditional values’ to obtain temporary residency. He now claims that in order to transition to a permanent residency permit, he has been asked to sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Feenstra has refused the requirement, citing his commitment to his family and farm. He has used online platforms to advise other foreigners to reconsider moving to Russia due to these complications.