Russian tourists in Saxony: a decline in dark shadows

Russian tourists in Saxony: a decline in dark shadows

Dresden, Deutschland - in Dresden is life for many Russian citizens and their descendants no longer as carefree as before February 24, 2022, the day on which the Russian war of attack on Ukraine began. The seller Elena H. describes how the mood in her area has changed. Before that, her daughter now advises her not to speak Russian in the supermarket for fear of negative reactions. In conversations, fears and uncertainties come up again and again that have increased since the start of the war. Opera singer Anna Netrebko, who was no longer allowed to perform in different cities, also symbolizes this concern, which lies over the community like a shadow. Jörg Eichler from the Saxon Refugee Council notes that there is little exchange with the Russian -born community, which speaks of a "diffuse mood" himself.

Although there are no direct violent attacks, Elena H. and her colleague Stefanie L. report from mobbing in the supermarket. "Once I was mobbed by a customer," recalls Stefanie. There were also negative comments on their place of work on social media. The circumstances have led to the supermarket has changed its range: Instead of Russian specialties, there are now increasingly Eastern European products. Imports problems for Russian goods such as Matrjoschka dolls, which are now only available from China, strengthen the challenges for the operators.

common roots and tensions

In these difficult times, there are occasional disagreements - especially in contact with Ukrainian customers. However, it is important for everyone involved that politics is not at the center of the discussions. The priest Roman Bannack from the Russian Orthodox Church in Dresden emphasizes that its community, half of which consists of Russians and the other half of Ukrainians, focuses on the spiritual matters. "We want to build bridges instead of walls," he says.

But not only in everyday life the trace of Russian culture is noticeable, a dramatic decline in Russian visitors is also evident in the tourism sector. In 2019, Saxony still had 90,000 overnight stays from Russian tourists, but in 2022 it was only less than 8,500. Veronika Hiebl, Managing Director of Tourismus Marketing Society Saxony, reports on a further decline of 10.9 percent in 2025. Both shopping and culture and music were once great attraction for Russian guests who often stayed in high hotels. Medical tourism also had a not inconsiderable meaning for the Saxon tourism sector.

demographic background

The Russian community in Germany is mixed. Around four million people from the former Soviet Union or their successor states live here, the largest group are the Russian -German late repatriates. In addition to these, there are also Jewish contingent refugees who came to Germany, especially in the nineties, to escape persecution and discrimination. Many of these migrants such as Eugen and Tatjana Rihovski, who came to Germany with their families in the 1990s, now feel like Germans, but still care for their Russian roots.

The war has led to the number of moves and moves in Germany. In 2022 there were more than two million moves, with the majority of the immigrants coming from Ukraine. This change has an impact on society as a whole, and the integration of communities is more important than ever. How long the communities will continue to suffer from these tensions remains to be seen.

The current situation once again shows how multifaceted the topics of migration and integration are and how closely they are linked to the political circumstances. As long as the war lasts, tourism will not be able to return to the old normality, as Veronika Hiebl makes clear.