On a sweltering summer morning in Serbia's capital Belgrade, Vadim Morus, a professional ice skater from Russia, glides across an outdoor rink. Morus is 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from his native Moscow, but is beginning to feel at home.
He fled Russia with his fiancee in 2022, part of a wave of tens of thousands who came to Serbia after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It's a long way to come, but many chose Belgrade for its ancient cultural and religious ties to Moscow.
"There are few ice skaters in Serbia who can train others, so I have plenty of Serbian students," Morus, 24, said.
Since war began in Ukraine in February 2022, Russians fleeing conflict, conscription or the politics of President Vladimir Putin, have established a vibrant community in Serbia, according to interviews with two dozen immigrants and local officials.
While the actual number of Russians in Serbia is smaller than those who have fled to countries such as Germany, their presence is acutely felt in Belgrade, a city of less than two million people.
Russian-owned clubs, kindergartens, and medical practices have sprung up. Russians buy food in Russian shops. Russian bands, singers and comedians are performing in Russian clubs, and Russian artists showcase their work in Russian-owned galleries.
Between February 2022 and mid-2023, more than 30,000 Russians registered for temporary residence in Serbia, the latest interior ministry data show. Officials did not provide data for the comparative period before this but said that the numbers represented a sharp increase.
During this influx, Russians established 11,081 businesses across various sectors, from internet-based services to hospitality and sports schools, according to Serbia's business registry.
