January 08, 2023

Made in Russia, Born in Argentina


Made in Russia, Born in Argentina
The director of "Rody v Mire," Eva Pekurova, holding her baby in front of the Swiss-Argentine Hospital in Buenos Aires. Eva Pekurova, Instagram.

Throughout January, the Argentine press has been reporting that the capital, Buenos Aires, has become a birth tourism hub for pregnant Russians.

Unlike many Western countries, Argentina has opposed sanctions on Russia and did not change its visa-free policy. Therefore, many Russians who seek better opportunities for their kids and a way to leave Russia have been traveling to Argentina. The Guardian reported that Georgy Polin, head of the consular department of the Russian Embassy in Argentina, estimated that between 2,000 and 2,500 Russians moved to Argentina in 2022. The number is expected to increase to 10,000 by 2023.

The country's citizenship policies are particularly appealing. Argentina grants birthright citizenship (automatic citizenship if you are born on the territory of the country) and allows parents of an Argentine-born baby to naturalize quickly. Another perk is that Argentine citizens can make short trips to 171 countries without a visa. Buenos Aires also has a high-quality public and private healthcare system. 

Agencies like the Belarussian "Rody v Mire" ("Giving Birth in the World") and Baby.RuArgentina offer packages from $2,000-15,000 that include housing, doctor's appointments, hospital stays, and translators. 

Russian families are already incorporating some Argentinianality into their newborns. The Argentine Newspaper La Nacion recorded a case of a Russian-heritage baby named "Angel" after Angel Di Maria, the soccer player who scored a decisive goal in the recent World Cup final against France.

You Might Also Like

A Year of Decline
  • December 31, 2022

A Year of Decline

Russia’s War on Ukraine is exacting deep and enduring economic and social costs on the country.
While Supplies Last
  • December 20, 2022

While Supplies Last

Prices for Moscow real estate, usually a hot market, are down a record 35 percent.
Butina, Babies, and Baby-making
  • January 01, 1990

Butina, Babies, and Baby-making

This week, depressing news about divisions and birth rates can only really be counteracted with a smile over the Orthodox church’s new take on sex.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955