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Russia’s Dream Village for Anti-Woke Americans Draws Only Two Families, Sends a Father to Warzone
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
A plan to build a rural village outside Moscow for Americans fleeing “liberal gender norms” has largely collapsed due to low demand and a lack of government support, Russian outlet Vot Tak reported on July 15.
The project began in 2024 in the Istra district of the Moscow region. Spearheaded by 43-year-old US-born blogger Tim Kirby—who has lived in Russia since 2006—the initiative aimed to create a haven for Americans who reject progressive cultural values and wish to embrace what they view as traditional Russian ones.
Authorities allocated 30 hectares for the settlement, and early projections claimed several thousand Americans were interested in relocating.
But one year later, only two homes have been built—each housing a single migrant family. The homes were constructed using standard designs and entirely financed by the new settlers.
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Gas, water, and other infrastructure were also installed at their expense, supplemented by Kirby’s personal contributions. The cost of purchasing a cottage with land reached around $165,000.
Kirby told Vot Tak that the project has stalled because of overwhelming costs that are out of reach for most middle-class Americans. “Just the electrification alone costs 172 million rubles—about $2.2 million,” he said. Kirby approached various regional governors for support, but all stopped short of offering financial backing.
“No one is supporting the project—that’s the problem,” he said. “I reached out to governors in different regions—everyone likes the idea, everyone wants to see it realized, but all with private money.”
According to Kirby, Russian private investors are unwilling to back a venture aimed at foreigners, and banks are hesitant to approve mortgages for them.
One of the few Americans who did make the move is 45-year-old Derek Huffman, a father of six from Texas. In the spring of 2025, he relocated with his wife and three daughters, ages 10 to 13, to the half-built village near Moscow. His three adult sons—aged 21, 20, and 19—remained in the United States.
To speed up the process of obtaining Russian citizenship, Huffman—a professional welder and former construction crew leader—signed a contract with Russia’s Ministry of Defense. But instead of being assigned to a rear support role, he was sent to the front lines in Ukraine.
His wife, a homemaker who overcame alcoholism three years ago, told reporters she has started drinking again due to the stress of their new life.
The village’s participants entered Russia under a simplified migration regime introduced by Russian leader Vladimir Putin on August 19, 2024.
The decree allows citizens from countries whose policies allegedly contradict “traditional spiritual and moral values” to apply for temporary residence in Russia without needing to pass Russian language, history, or legal knowledge tests.
Applicants must sign a written statement declaring their rejection of “destructive neoliberal ideology” in their home country and their commitment to live following Russian traditions. From September 2024 to March 2025, roughly 480 such visas were issued.
Earlier, Daniel Martindale, an American citizen who posed as a missionary while allegedly spying on Ukrainian military positions near Vuhledar, was granted Russian citizenship.
