November 05, 2026

Where Did the Bank Accounts Go?


Where Did the Bank Accounts Go?
Galicia Bank in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Just a Man, Wikimedia Commons.

On October 31, independent Russian outlet Meduza reported that an Argentinian bank shuttered the accounts of some Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians without warning. A Telegram group for those affected by the closures has grown to over 400 members.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Argentina has become a popular refuge for Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians. On October 28 and 29, clients with ties to Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine found that the Argentine bank Galicia had unilaterally shut down their accounts without prior notice. The closure affected everyone from recent Argentine citizens to those who worked for local companies or resided in the country for other reasons.

Many users' accounts disappeared from the Galicia banking app. Some clients reported that they could not open new accounts; the affected customers were only allowed to withdraw their money. According to Meduza, Galicia employees said that their bank accounts were closed based on a "commercial decision," but there was no further elaboration of what that meant. The bank has not issued an official statement on the matter.

Members of the Telegram group pointed out that not all Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians living in Argentina had their Galicia accounts closed. Those affected by the bank account closures are considering filing a joint lawsuit. The affected clients speculated that the bank closures could have been connected to the fact that Galicia was recently acquired by HSBC, a bank headquartered in London.

You Might Also Like

Russian Deportation Bingo
  • November 04, 2026

Russian Deportation Bingo

Russia is expanding its grounds for deporting foreign citizens and stateless people, having added over 20 new punishable offenses.
From Censor to VPN Coder
  • November 02, 2026

From Censor to VPN Coder

A VPN promising to outsmart Russia's censor has a surprising developer: a former Roskomnadzor insider who helped maintain a system policing internet blocks.
Policing the Stacks
  • November 01, 2026

Policing the Stacks

More than 40% of Russian libraries have been searched by law enforcement looking for banned books.
A.I. Dostoyevsky
  • October 30, 2026

A.I. Dostoyevsky

Russian propagandists created an animated version of the Russian classic writer to turn him into “a permanent political expert.”   
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

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.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, 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