The Christian Lawmaker Helping Americans Move to Russia - Meet Maria Butina
From a DC prison cell to Parliament and leading Russian champion for moving here from the West, she’s made quite the comeback. Profile and short interview. Links to migration support chats.
I tweet about migrating to Russia at @cbausman and Telegram. DMs are open.
Some of you in the US may recall her from 2018, at the height of the Russia!, Russia!, Russia! hoax, when she made headlines and a 60 Minutes interview with Leslie Stahl from jail when the FBI arrested the 28 year old who had been studying in the US for three years, accusing her of being a Russian spy. She landed in prison for 18 months and was then shipped back to Russia. It made for a good story because Butina was a beautiful, tall, 2nd amendment activist well-connected in Republican party circles and with senior officials in Moscow. Photographs of her posing with guns flew around the internet.
I won't get into the story here because I find what she is doing now, and the woman she has grown to be more interesting. The nutshell: she always insisted that the idea that she was a spy is ridiculous. She was never convicted of that, and welcomed back to Russia as a heroine.
“I’ll always love guns. I used to have a lot more time for that and would go to shooting ranges a lot, which we have a lot of here in Russia. They’re very popular.”
As a journalist who covered the Russia hoax story from day one and understands it well, I would wager this is probably correct, because the FBI lies about pretty much everything it does, and has become a traveling theatrical troupe staging false flags for the Democrat party. They don’t call it the FBLie for nothing. The 60 Minutes segment is actually interesting, and to their credit, gave her a chance to tell at least part of her side of the story.
One thing I never understood is that the “incriminating” texts with her friends in Russia were on non-protected messengers, on Twitter, if I recall correctly. If she was some kind of super spy, why was she using Twitter to send “secret” texts? To me and to many people who looked at this, it looks like she was exactly what she claimed to be, and became a useful pawn in DC political games, paying a very high personal price, the victim of a serious injustice.
(A recent video, visiting a new city of 50,000 which is interested in attracting immigrants from the US and Europe. Video in English.)
She says she was deliberately maltreated in jail to break her spirit and force a confession never received: 120 days in solitary, sleep deprivation, no mattress or blanket, 50 hours of interrogations, no daylight, disgusting food, a squalid, cockroach infested cell, returning home with serious health issues. Again this rings true because they’re doing the same to the January 6 political prisoners. There’s plenty about the whole episode on the internet if you’re curious. What you find from the mainstream media will be misleading.
Despite the harsh treatment meted out to her, she goes out of her way to stress that she harbors no resentment against America or Americans, quite the contrary, she is still very fond of them, and admires America greatly, and wishes relations could be better between her country and ours.
Back in Russia she wrote a book about it, and the English translation is quite good. It consists of many short vignettes which I didn’t read, but I scanned the table of contents and read a couple with intriguing headings, like the amusing description of Leslie Stahl and a poignant portrait of Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne and her friendship with him.
“There are some things in life that you can learn in your head, but until God really makes it real, it remains a kind of intellectual thing. In jail it became very real for me.”
I’ve been aware of Butina since then and met her a couple of times briefly at events. I ran into her last weekend at a Move to Russia event, where she told me that she and her impressive young parliament staff now spend 90% of their time and her considerable public clout here championing the idea of people from Europe and the US moving here, and rolling up their sleeves and helping people get here on an individual basis. She spoke very eloquently about this, so much so that I wanted to write about it. If you’re interested in the Move to Russia phenomenon, you should be aware of Butina. Her efforts are making a difference, and her story is interesting.
(Demonstrating fashions from Russian designers. Video in Russian)
I realized she’s a serious person 3 years ago when I saw an hour long interview with her (unfortunately available only in Russian) about her Christian faith on SPAS, the major federal Christian TV channel here. I’ve watched many from this show because they are often excellent, and she stood out.
(Interview in Russian)
She spoke very authentically and thoughtfully about her faith and life experiences which led her to it, particularly her time in jail in the US, and the friendships she made there with the other inmates, most of whom were black. If I recall correctly, it was her time in jail which really brought her to God. I was struck by a lack of pretense, so common among politicians, especially on this topic.
“What’s going on in America and the West is so upsetting to me, especially the children, what they’re being taught in schools. I care, and I want to do what I can to help.”
In the glow of a heroine’s return in late 2019, she launched a successful political and TV career, elected to the Duma, Russia’s parliament, in 2021. She’s a frequent guest on Russian shows, and has, count them, 3 which she hosts herself on the biggest nation-wide channels, including one on SPAS, in which she interviews rectors of Russian Orthodox parishes outside of Russia. On another one, “The Puppet Show”, she profiles prominent Western political leaders, exposing who their puppeteers are and how fake Western “democracies’ have become.
(Giving an interview to the UK’s Sky News recently)
Two years ago the head of the Russian Church, Patriarch Kirill, bestowed an award on her for “Contribution to the Development of Russia” in a grand Kremlin cathedral ceremony. (Video on YouTube with English subtitles)
Now 35, her politics are staunchly patriotic and pro-Putin, but also critical of problems here. She positions herself as a kind of people’s advocate, responding to appeals from all over the country when something isn’t working, personally intervening to help. Her current role as an advocate for Western migrants fits with this.
“Russia is a very big country with a very powerful military, so it’s obviously a lot safer than many other places.”
She has a reputation for having a low BS tolerance, willing to criticize her own colleagues and foreigners even when it gets awkward. She famously visited liberal opposition leader Alexey Navalny (who ironically, probably was collaborating with foreign intel agencies) in jail, because he was complaining that the food was bad and that he was being mistreated because they put him on cleaning duty. She showed up with a TV camera and fiercely scolded him for being a wimp and a whiner, telling him his routine was like a 5 star hotel compared to what she went through. This provoked outrage among the usual suspects in the West and wide approval in Russia.
In the Duma, she represents the Kirov province, about the size of Pennsylvania, one of European Russia’s poorest and largely rural, about 600 miles due east of Moscow. Geographically it’s one of the largest (in territory), remotest, and most sparsely populated provinces (like US states) in European Russia.
“I think in a fair election Trump would win, because he’s obviously more popular. And I don’t believe ANY polls! They’re just used to shape public opinion, not reflect them.”
She was born and raised in Barnaul, a major city of 600,000 in Western Siberia, an important economic and transport hub. Capital of the mountainous Altai province, it’s famous for lovely Sound of Music alpine meadows and forests, so different from the flat Russian plains in the West, and a popular nature tourist destination. Growing up she wanted to be a school teacher, and one can see something of this in her - proper, precise, disciplined, capable of being strict, and sincerely wanting, it seems, to serve and take care of others, as good teachers do.
Fast forward to her role today in the Move to Russia phenomenon. It started about 2 years ago really quite spontaneously, coming from different parts of Russian civil society - journalists covering Westerners moving here for ideological reasons, members of parliament, Butina among them, lobbying the idea, immigration lawyers with Western clients lobbying the government to simplify the obtuse procedures designed for cheap labor migrants from Central Asia, church officials wanting to welcome Christians to Russia, Western immigrants urging it on their own platforms, and Kremlin bureaucrats gradually realizing that Russia would benefit from highly skilled migrants from Europe and America.
“Yes, very much so, what woman doesn’t?! (want to get married and have kids) Of course! I really do believe that how this happens is up to God, so I pray to Him about it.”
I got pulled in in the early stages, Russian friends and connections asking me to come on TV and testify at government hearings, so I’ve seen it evolve. Eventually this got through to the higher reaches of the Kremlin, which surprised everyone two months ago with Putin’s decree inviting Westerners to move here. Throughout, Butina has been the most prominent and articulate public voice championing this and lobbying in the corridors of power.
Over the past months she’s essentially turned her Duma office into a support operation for Westerners wanting to move here, willing to deal with people one on one with individual issues, especially those running into red tape problems. She set up a Telegram chat group, (also on the Russian answer to Facebook, VK), where she and her staff field general questions and fix problems, gathering valuable information about how the legislation (the rules and procedures related to the new decree are still being hammered out), can be improved. As a Duma deputy, she has an official staff of 4, which was not enough to handle all the requests, so she mobilized an intern program with eager students fluent in English, from some of Moscow's leading universities. I scanned the chat, and she’s in there participating personally. She also has an English language Telegram channel chronicling her hectic life here. I advised her to get on Twitter, which she said she’ll try to do.
“There’s still so many years of propaganda in people’s heads, so much misunderstanding. So come check it (Russia) out, that’s my advice.”
The media liaison I dealt with in collecting information for this article, Anya, I was surprised to discover, is all of 22 years old and is volunteering from her program at a prestigious international affairs university. I’ve seen these student volunteer collectives spring into action time and again around various events and projects, and don’t think that because they are young, little can be expected of them. My experience working with them at various events has been universally positive, and Anya has been a pleasure to work with, completely professional. I have some contact with this new generation due to my work, mostly students, and I have to say, they are extremely impressive, and bode very well for the future of this country. Eight student volunteers have joined Butina’s staff, with more in the works. I met a handful of them last weekend, and was seriously impressed.
Her office gives immigrants advice on legal and tax issues, visas, getting settled in Russia, and everything imaginable. They also refer people to immigration law offices and other support organizations which they’ve vetted and think reliable.
“What’s important is what happens in your heart, more than the sign on the church you are standing in.”
Butina told me personally, and repeats again and again in her English language media appearances speaking to the West, that she’s there to help, and wants to hear from people personally. She writes her own social media and often responds personally to direct messages. Her remaining time is spent pressing this agenda in media appearances in both Russian and English, helping write the immigration rules and procedures in her role in the government, interfacing with Russian embassies around the world when there is a hitch, and lobbying the government when she becomes aware of problems in the legislation.
She says she would be glad to come on podcasts interested in the Move to Russia phenomenon, and I think she’d make a good guest because she is very well-informed, thoughtful and has interesting things to say, and has a very good sense of American culture and issues Americans would find interesting. She also has a certain charisma I think Americans can relate to. You can contact her office through the Telegram links above.
Fluent English is surprisingly rare among Russian elites, including younger ones, a blunder which never ceases to amaze me, and which demonstrably leads to much misunderstanding between Russia and the West, largely because most Russian elites, for this reason, don’t consume Western media, especially Twitter, where the real action is. Their knowledge of what’s happening in the West is often childishly primitive, just as most westerners understand Russia poorly. It’s a kind of hangover from Soviet times when people just didn’t need English much. I can count on two hands the number of Duma deputies who could manage an interview in English, out of a total of 450. Butina’s years living in the US, her affection for and appreciation of America, and her fluent English, together with her prominent public profile here, makes her ideal to embrace this issue.
She appears to be a workaholic. The event I saw her at last weekend was a 4 hour drive from Moscow, those attending giving up their Sunday to be there. She thanked us, quickly joking (but not really it seemed to me) that if we were there, we, like her, probably never take a holiday, day or weekend off (not at all true for me). She gave the impression of a woman on a mission, devoting her waking hours to work and enjoying it that way. She’s never married and has no children, a paradox considering her fame and personal qualities, but understandable because her life was turned upside down 7 years ago, and she’s been back home for just 5. In the interview below she talks about her wish to marry and have children.
One senses a quiet and calm strength, determined and unpretentious. Imagine the polar opposite of Kamala Harris, flouncing around and giggling all the time in an effort to mask one’s own vapidity, hiding from the media.
Here’s a short interview:
You say you spend 90% of your time working on this Move to Russia phenomenon. Why is it so important to you?
Most of my time living in America was in Sioux Falls, SD, with frequent trips to DC, and I spent most of my time in the mid-West among conservatives, and what’s happening to them (conservatives in America) makes me very sad. I understand the need (for people to have a safe place to come to), and I want to be there to help. What’s going on in America and the West in general is so upsetting to me, especially the children, what they’re being taught in schools. I care, and I want to do what I can to help.
Are you able to stay in touch with the friends you made there?
Very little, because most people are afraid, but with some, yes. I won’t mention any names because I don’t want to get people in trouble with the FBI. Imagine that - it’s Americans who are now afraid to be in touch with Russians, and Russians aren’t. It says a lot about what’s going on in our two countries. Who would have thought that it would come to this?
Tell us a little about your Christian faith.
I considered myself a Christian from the age of 10 when I was baptized, but it only became real and important to me in jail. You know there are some things in life that you can learn in your head, but before God really makes it real, it remains a kind of intellectual thing. In jail it became very real for me, and it’s stayed that way since.
When you lived in America before being arrested, did you have much contact with, or form an impression of conservative American Christians?
Yes, very much so. They are absolutely wonderful people, often with large loving families and a strong faith which they really lived out, making church a big part of their lives, taking it seriously. It made a big impression on me and I learned so much from them. Very fond memories of those days.
Did you ever attend church with them? Some Orthodox are quite strict about not attending services outside of their Orthodox faith.
Yes, very much so, and often. I don’t follow that restriction, and my priest told me that if there are no people of our Orthodox faith to pray with, then one should pray with other Christians, because God is with many kinds of Christians. That’s what I did in prison too. What’s important is what happens in your heart, more than the sign on the church you are standing in.
Which country seems more Christian to you, Russia or America?
Oh I really can’t say because one can’t look into people’s hearts and see what is happening there. Where I lived in the mid-West, the percentage of people who go to church is a lot higher than in most places in Russia, in fact it seemed to me that most people from there go, but I wouldn’t want to even speculate about that, again, because it’s not visible to us.
Orthodoxy is the fastest growing Christian denomination among American Christians, appealing very strongly to conservative young men. What do you think of that?
Actually I didn’t know that, but now that you mention it, I can see why that could be the case when you see the crisis in many American churches. I’m glad to hear this.
Many of these young converts are becoming monarchists. What is your attitude towards monarchy?
Well, I’m not a monarchist, because as I understand it, monarchy in Orthodoxy teaches that all political power comes from God, and the way I look at political power is that we politicians are here to serve the people, so I think the power should flow from them (the people).
As an Orthodox Christian, are you aware of the prophecies of the saints regarding Russia’s future, and that many Westerners would find refuge in Russia?
I didn’t know about them, but I’m glad to hear that, and honestly it doesn’t surprise me because that is exactly what seems to be happening.
Are you interested in international affairs, geopolitics?
Yes, very much so, and actually, it’s my job to be because I’m on the international affairs committee in the Duma.
The collapse of the resistance front in Lebanon and the seemingly imminent Israeli invasion is going to significantly increase interest in moving to Russia. People are getting really scared that a world war may break out. Would Russia be a safe place in the event of such a war?
Well, before we think about that, I want to say that we can still stop this from happening. What’s happening in the Middle East just breaks my heart. We’ve been in dangerous situations before in history, for example the Cuban missile crisis, and we came together and averted a disaster, and that is what we must do now. To answer the question though, Russia is a very big country with a very powerful military, so it’s obviously a lot safer than many other places, but we can’t see the future. Only God knows what will happen.
Do you have time in your work to keep up with what is going on in American politics? American media is changing so fast it’s hard to keep up with the latest.
I try to and am of course very interested but I really don’t have much time for that. I get most of my information about that from American Telegram channels.
Really, which ones?
I follow Charlie Kirk and Enjoy the Decline, which I like very much. Ben Shapiro, James O’Keefe, a few others, some of them quite small actually. I wish I had more time for this because I love learning about it.
Do you spend time on Twitter? Since Elon Musk allowed more free speech there it has become the main platform where political conversations are being had.
No I don’t, and until you told me that the other day I didn’t even know that. Twitter used to be so horrible a few years ago, I just stopped reading it. It’s blocked here in Russia (but accessible with a vpn), you know, so a lot of Russians stopped paying attention to it. I still have an old account, and now that you’ve told me this, I’m very curious to get back on there and see for myself.
Do you have an opinion about who will win in November?
Well you know, there’s a Russian saying: “It’s not who gets the most votes which matters, rather who gets to count them.” I think in a fair election Trump would win, because he’s obviously more popular. And I don’t believe ANY polls! They’re just used to shape public opinion, not reflect them. But I’m not at all confident that there won’t be a lot of fraud like last time with the mail-in ballots. So I don’t really know how it will end up.
What are your intellectual interests outside of politics?
You know, I’m so busy with politics that I just don’t have time for much outside of that. I love history and love reading about it. One of my favorite American authors is James Bamford, and I love his books because he writes non-fiction on topics I love like politics and history, but he does it in a way that reads like literature and is very entertaining. I found myself reading his books and just not wanting to put them down. I really admire him so much as a writer. I actually had a chance to meet him in person and I asked his advice on how to write well, and he said: write like you’re telling a good story for entertainment, like you’re writing a good novel. That made a big impression on me.
Are you still into guns? Are they a part of your life today?
Oh sure, I’ll always love guns. I used to have a lot more time for that and would go to shooting ranges a lot, which we have a lot of here in Russia. They’re very popular. I’ve shot so many different kinds of Russian guns, and know a lot about them.
Do you own a gun here?
Yes, a hunting shotgun I inherited from my dad. But you know you don’t have to own a lot of guns to become familiar with the different ones. One can try out different ones at ranges, which is what I like to do. Unfortunately the situation with guns for me here is much like reading books, I just don’t have time for it these days because I’m just devoted to my work and believe that this is the best way to spend my time for now.
Would you like to get married and have children?
Yes, very much so, what woman doesn’t?! Of course! I really do believe that how this happens is up to God, so I pray to Him about it, and trust that He’ll arrange things in the way He knows is best. I’m still dealing with health issues which resulted from my time in prison, so that’s a factor too.
Would you consider marrying a European or American, or only a Russian?
This absolutely doesn’t matter to me. What matters is the personal connection. Absolutely.
There are probably many things which you think people in the West don’t realize about Russia. Can you mention a couple which you think are important?
I would say just one thing to people - just come visit and see for yourself! Obviously I meet a lot of people moving here, and the reaction so often is that people are surprised how much they like it. They’re like, I had no idea! There’s still so many years of propaganda in people’s heads, so much misunderstanding. So come check it out, that’s my advice.
Here’s the epilogue to her book, which is actually quite well written, and from the looks of it, she wrote the book herself, perhaps inspired by Mr. Bamford.
“You can’t return from prison completely, you can’t forget what happened. I still have the same dream almost every night:
My entire prison family flock to breakfast and wonder: «What is it today, Cinderella? Oatmeal again?» they sigh heavily. «Are we going to do algebra?» Chiquita tugs at the sleeve of my prison uniform. «What about twerk, Butina?» Cassandra smiles enigmatically. «Mi amore», Liliana calls me to plait her long braids. Miss Sanchez appears at the door, handing me a sheet of paper and silently asking me to draw a Christmas card for her grandson. «Barbie, I won’t let them hurt you», Fantasy confidently declares, propping her sides with her hands. «Shabbat, shalom, daughter», Finney strokes my head.
This is the worst nightmare, because I have returned, and they will be for many more years there, in the iron cages in prison basements. But perhaps we should not forget what happened, because «that which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger». And sometimes in order to save the world you need to help only one person.
Therefore, I have dedicated my life to helping people who are in trouble, like I once was, because there is nothing more beautiful in the world than helping your neighbor.”
I was once told by a UkroJudaeoNazi woman in the West that "all Russian women are fat and ugly".
She was lying and had she looked in a mirror would have probably shut up. Or maybe not. I think my response to her expressed that.
Maria Butina is an inspiration and beautiful from the inside out. I have to confess, I was miffed at her cozying up with the NRA and what I saw as trying to export US gun culture to Russia. I do not trust any imports from the West.
I wondered what had happened to her; another spectacular article Charles - thank you. She is an amazing person; compassionate, curious, communicative, driven, tough as steel apparently. In short, Russian! I hope she joins Twitter, since there is a small window open right now of quasi-free speech, and she could really reach Americans with her language skill and experiences here. Americans need to know about Russians, and what is best about Russia, now more than ever. Essentially what you are doing in your work. Bravo Charles!