Istanbul has become a refuge for thousands of Russians escaping Putin

ARSENY, A FASHIONEU photographer, and his boyfriend Vova, a film director, woke up in Moscow on the day Russia invaded Ukraine and realised their country had reached a point of no return. “We had been living a lie,” Arseny says. A few days later, after seeing the streets choked with riot police, they boarded a plane to Istanbul. They and many of their fellow passengers had decided to leave Russia, with little hope of return.Turkey’s biggest city has been a favourite among Russian tourists for decades. It has now become a temporary haven for Russians escaping Vladimir Putin’s dictatorship. They have few other places to go. All countries have banned flights from Russia. Turkey has not, and lets Russians in without a visa.