\u{201c}"In Russia, I was valued as a specialist, but abroad — as a person. The difference is colossal, especially in salary."
Russia has always been famous for its talents. Mendeleev, Korolev, Landau — they all grew up here. But there's one problem: they're either already dead or have left. And while nothing can be done about the first group, the authorities have been trying to combat the second for years now, coming up with newer and newer ways to keep geniuses at home. But as practice shows, the best way to keep a smart person is to lock them in a room with internet where all websites are blocked, and say: "We have the Elbrus OS and the 1C language — create!" And they do create… but already abroad. Today we'll look at why Russian minds are fleeing faster than officials flee responsibility, and what ingenious methods the state has devised to stop this flow.
Chapter 1. Who are the "best minds" and why are they fleeing
Let's start with a definition. Russia's best minds are people who can count, program, invent, and think two steps ahead. They are the ones who create domestic analogs of Western technologies, write sovereign software, and develop quantum computers with 8 qubits. But as soon as they are offered a job in the US, Europe, or even Kazakhstan with a salary 10 times higher, they start thinking. And when they are told that there they can freely use Python, GitHub, and not fear blocks, they are already buying tickets.
According to unofficial statistics, about 100,000 IT specialists have left Russia over the past three years. Plus scientists, engineers, doctors, and teachers. They all left not because they don't love their homeland, but because at home they are loved only in words. In reality — blocks, low salaries, and a lack of prospects. But the authorities aren't giving up: they have developed a set of measures to retain talent. And these measures are so effective that only 100,000 left. It could have been 200,000.
NumbersAccording to Rosstat, from 2020 to 2025 more than 1.5 million people emigrated, of which about 15% had higher education. — they speak for themselves. And they are not in our favor.
Chapter 2. Retention methods: from salary hikes to internet blocking
The main way to retain talent is, of course, money. In 2025, the government launched a program to raise IT specialists' salaries to 300,000 rubles per month. Sounds tempting, especially considering that the average salary in Russia is 70,000. But there's a catch: these 300,000 are only paid to those who work in accredited IT companies, which, in turn, are required to use only domestic software and have no Western beneficiaries. That is, if you write in Java but not on Elbrus — you're not accredited. So you won't get that salary.
Another method is blocking foreign resources. Why go abroad if you can't use GitHub there? But unfortunately, smart people find workarounds: VPNs, mirrors, and sometimes they simply move to places where GitHub isn't blocked. The irony is that blocks intended to protect national interests only fuel the outflow. We have Yandex.Zen, and they have YouTube. We have VK, and they have Facebook. The comparison is not in our favor.
Chapter 3. Why they still leave: personal experience and poaching
Alexey, 34, a former programmer from Novosibirsk, now works in Berlin. He says: "They offered me to stay, gave me a mortgage at 2%, but I realized that in Russia my children would study from textbooks that are rewritten every year, while in Germany — from stable programs. And the salary is 4 times higher. I love my homeland, but my love for money turned out to be stronger." There are thousands of such stories.
Western companies actively poach Russian specialists, offering relocation, visas, and social packages. They know that our minds are among the best in the world and are willing to pay for them. But here we have instead the carrot and stick, where the carrot is a promise, and the stick is a charge of "discreditation." Naturally, smart people choose the carrot — but in another country where it's real.
\u{201c}"They told me: 'Russia needs you.' I replied: 'Then pay me like in London.' They didn't pay, so I left. Now London needs me, and they pay me there."
Chapter 4. State programs: how we create a "carpet" instead of a "rug"
To stop the outflow, the government launched the "Priority-2030" program, under which universities receive billions for the development of science and technology. But this money ends up in reports, not in laboratories. Scientists leave for places where real funds are allocated for equipment, not just paper notifications.
There is also the "Megagrants" program, which attracts foreign scientists to Russia. But many of them come, see the bureaucracy, and leave back. But the reports are beautiful: "50 foreign scientists attracted." And a year later — "50 scientists left." But statistics only show the first part.
Chapter 5. Fighting competition: "we have our own geniuses"
Instead of retaining existing minds, the authorities decided to bet on the young. Technoparks, quantoriums, programming schools are being created. Children are taught to code from age 5. But by age 18, they already understand that in Russia they face only a job at some Sber with a salary of 150,000 and endless bureaucratic approvals. And in the US — $300,000 a year and freedom to create. The choice is obvious.
By the way, Russia has already started issuing "digital passports" for IT specialists to track their movements. Now, if you leave, your passport is blocked, and you can't use government services. But smart people find a way: they simply don't come back.
Chapter 6. The result? Even those who weren't pushed are fleeing
Despite all efforts, the best minds continue to leave Russia. This is not just a trend, it's a pattern. While we block Google, they study new technologies in the West. While we create our own programming languages, they use Python. While we raise salaries for the chosen few, they get global salaries.
But there is good news too: those who stay are true patriots. They believe in a bright future, in import substitution, and that someday we will have our own GitHub. In the meantime, they write code on a notepad and pray that the internet won't be cut off. We are proud of them. Though, they too are slowly packing their bags.
def stay_in_russia():
while True:
if money < rent + food + entertainment:
buy_ticket()
move_abroad()
else:
code()
pray_for_vpn()
This code describes a typical day of a Russian programmer. Notice that the condition money < rent + food + entertainment always evaluates to true, so the program enters the move_abroad() stage with no rollback possible.
Chapter 7. Epilogue: when we catch up, they'll already be far away
So, the best minds are fleeing Russia not because they are traitors, but because the system does not create conditions for their work and life. We can endlessly talk about the "sovereign internet," "domestic chips," and "quantum computers with 8 qubits," but as long as real talents vote with their feet, nothing will change.
Maybe someday Russia will become a country where geniuses stay not out of desperation, but out of pride. But for now, alas, we are witnessing the opposite process. And we can only watch as our former compatriots make discoveries in Silicon Valley and win Nobel Prizes, with no connection to Russia at all.
And if you are one of those thinking about leaving, remember: we have excellent online patriotism courses. Though they are on a platform that is already blocked. But you can always buy them... abroad.
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