"Conditions are almost fairy-tale-like." A programmer couldn't find a job and went to Moscow (while Russians dream of Minsk)

To start a career as a product analyst in IT, Matvey moved from Minsk to Moscow at the beginning of the year — there simply were no vacancies for him in his homeland, writes Devby.io.

"I thought it would be easier for a Belarusian to legalize in Russia"

— In Belarus, I worked in a state bank — I got a job there after university, but after about a year I realized there were no opportunities for growth.

I had good aptitudes for product analysis, — and I was interested in developing in this direction. So I started looking for another job — first in Minsk.

Unfortunately, there were very few open positions, and, as it turned out, I, a person without relevant experience, had no chance of getting any of them — everywhere they required people with practical expertise.

Then I started looking at vacancies in Russia — in big tech companies. I went through several interviews for entry-level positions, — and found what I wanted: we immediately had a match with the team, and the product was very interesting to me. Moreover, it's a top company and the conditions are almost fairy-tale-like:

• full relocation package — travel, hotel for the first period, a realtor to help with housing search, "moving allowance";
• excellent health insurance;
• the salary fully satisfies me;
• and food in the office (the office itself is also good).

I didn't explore vacancies in Western companies — I thought it would be easier for a Belarusian to legalize in Russia than in EU countries, where after 2022 we are treated with caution.

"The product is excellent, colleagues are all professionals"

Overall, the decision to move was easy — I wasn't moving to Mars, it's only about 700+ km to home, planes fly, trains run.

I like the job — the product is excellent, colleagues are all professionals.

For the first two weeks, they booked a hotel room for me (they gave a list — the choice was very good, nothing to complain about!). They also provided a realtor to help find an apartment — very convenient! As a result, we found a studio apartment of 26 "square meters".

The company paid the first month's rent and commissions. With all utility payments, it comes to 50 thousand Russian rubles (approximately 635 dollars at the current exchange rate) — tolerable, but my district is not a premium one.

On the other hand, it's almost a quarter of my salary. With the same money in Minsk, I could rent my dream one-bedroom apartment somewhere in Grushevka.

Moscow is generally a rich city for obvious reasons. Compared to Minsk, it's not as cozy, and people on the streets are somewhat less pleasant, but there are beautiful places in the city center where it's wonderful to walk.

In terms of everyday life, there aren't many differences. Yes, I had to get used to the new currency. Among the downsides are internet resources only via VPN, expensive housing that is also far from work. Getting there one way takes an hour. But there are also upsides: good delivery and service provision at relatively acceptable prices.

Can I work from Minsk? Yes, the main thing is to perform well. And yes, the temptation to return to my homeland doesn't let me go (working from Minsk is possible). What holds me back are good benefits, plus it's interesting to just live in a metropolis. In addition, "HR" requires providing temporary registration in Moscow, for which it's necessary to rent something somewhere and spend money anyway.

If there's a good reason, I'll return very quickly.

"I realize where my taxes are going. I try to look at this in the long term"

Regarding the moral aspect of working for Russia: I realize where my taxes are going.

Yes, it's unethical — but I try to look at it in the long term: it's an important component of my professional development, and in terms of experience, I'm gaining a lot. In the future, I will be able to use it for the benefit of my own country, contributing to its economy and professional culture.

I have a negative attitude towards the war and the state that unleashed it (even though I live and work in it) — and I certainly wouldn't work for state structures: that's even worse than working for betting offices. And that's why I'm glad our product is purely civilian.

The war itself is unjust, like most wars unleashed by Russia (who else but Belarusians would know this?). To be honest, I'm scared by the thought that my country could also be fully drawn into it.

Although the war itself is far away, it's always in plain sight: the most mundane thing is the recruiters' tables at the metro entrance. It's unpleasant to see them every day. What worries me even more are the news from Belarus: "exercises are underway," "reservists are being called up"... I don't want to shed blood for unknown reasons — so I'm morally ready to relocate at any moment, and I'll figure out working remotely for my current company. However, as long as Belarus is not fully involved in the war, I sleep more or less peacefully.

"Office 'perks' — not just canteens, but also vending machines and shops near the office"

In general, going to the office at our company is optional — I don't see some colleagues in person for weeks. But I am a proponent of the office work format. I go to the office daily — not only to separate my work and personal time, but also for the "perks." I try to arrive earlier to maintain a daily routine (it's a delicate thing!), and I spend 8‑9 hours in the office.

Office "perks" include food for a certain amount per day — not only in canteens (we have several), but also purchases in vending machines and shops near the office, and in the office itself there are many free treats like cookies and fruit every day.

There is a gym and other entertainment areas — billiards, PlayStations, a cyberzone with computers, a masseur. Also a psychologist and therapist — if they are suddenly needed.

On weekends, I go to play billiards (again, to the office!) and explore new places. I try to visit a new museum, monastery, or church every weekend.

Plus, since I got insurance, I've been actively taking care of my health and seeing doctors on weekends — it's too lazy to do it on weekdays.

"In Belarus, I had a sense of boundaries, but in Russia, I'm scared to go too far in conversations"

Everything with communication and the internet is bad, of course.

If I need access to any resources that interest me — VPN saves me for now. Telegram, Instagram, Youtube — everything is there, I watch everything. And if there won't be a direct "cheburnet" with white lists and other nonsense, then yes, it will probably stay that way. I estimate the chances of a "cheburnet" at about 10% this year. The rulers also have wives and children — where would they post photos from, say, Nice?

In our company, Telegram is used for internal communications — and generally it works fine in the office and via corporate VPN. The only thing that can interfere is when you're not at your laptop, you have to turn on VPN on your phone to read or reply to something. No one forces you to install MAX — and there are no such discussions yet either. And yes, just in case, the company also has an internal messenger.

In connection with this whole situation, my colleagues are already half-jokingly, half-seriously talking about moving to Belarus (overall, it's interesting to observe how little Russians need for freedom: Zara + Instagram and that's it, practically like in Switzerland). I try to avoid this topic so as not to blurt out anything unnecessary, after which I would have to talk to HR.

No, overall, we have a good team — you can talk and joke about any topics. The question is how far you can go.

In Belarus, I had a feeling of some more or less defined boundaries on any topic, but in Russia, to be honest, I'm still scared to go too far in conversations on political topics. In Belarus, you can understand everything about a person's views after a minute of conversation. Here it is very noticeable that people mentally differ from us, I don't quite understand them. That's why I don't engage in unnecessary conversations.

My feeling is that most colleagues adhere to the principle: "the tsar is good, the boyars are bad." But there are also those who are clearly against the war, although there aren't many of them. There are no "Z-supporters" at all — and that's good. Although it's not customary to discuss this topic at work: opponents are afraid, and supporters don't want to, as they don't have much to boast about.

"I think that the fact that I worked for a Russian company will not be the most critical factor"

I expect to spend another 3‑4 years following this scenario, if life remains acceptable. And in the future, I would like to move to Minsk and work for a foreign company or a Belarusian one, but one that would not yield to foreigners in terms of salary.

Yes, it would be great to use the experience gained specifically in some cool Belarusian product. But for now, unfortunately, I don't see any prerequisites for significant improvements in the IT industry in Belarus.

I think that the fact that I worked for a Russian company will not be the most critical factor — many people are neutral about this. At least, I want to believe that a future employer will be more interested in the product itself that we worked on, and my role in it.

There are other Belarusians in the company. There aren't very many of them, but there are about a dozen — of those I've heard about. I don't feel any special attitude from colleagues towards me, and the fact that I'm from Belarus doesn't affect our interaction in any way.

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