Skip to main content
Thursday, October 29, 2026Oct 29
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

This story is free to read.

Pregnant Russians flock to Argentina seeking new passports

Russian nationals Alla Prigolovkina and her husband Andrei Ushakov, their Argentine-born son Lev Andres and their dogs Santa and Cometa, visit a park in Mendoza, Argentina, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. In spite of the language barrier and the stifling summer heat, Prigolovkina and Ushakov have quickly adopted Argentine customs since their July move. Prigolovkina said they especially enjoy spending time in the park with their dogs. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Russian nationals Alla Prigolovkina and her husband Andrei Ushakov, their Argentine-born son Lev Andres and their dogs Santa and Cometa, visit a park in Mendoza, Argentina, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. In spite of the language barrier and the stifling summer heat, Prigolovkina and Ushakov have quickly adopted Argentine customs since their July move. Prigolovkina said they especially enjoy spending time in the park with their dogs. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Russian nationals Alla Prigolovkina and her husband Andrei Ushakov, their Argentine-born son Lev Andres and their dogs Santa and Cometa, visit a park in Mendoza, Argentina, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. In spite of the language barrier and the stifling summer heat, Prigolovkina and Ushakov have quickly adopted Argentine customs since their July move. Prigolovkina said they especially enjoy spending time in the park with their dogs. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

By DÉBORA REY / Associated Press 6 min read


BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Shortly after Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, Alla Prigolovkina and her husband, Andrei Ushakov, decided they had to flee their Sochi, Russia, home.

Ushakov had been detained for holding up a sign that read “Peace,” and Prigolovkina, a pregnant ski instructor, feared he would soon be drafted and potentially killed, leaving their baby fatherless.

The original plan was to stay in Europe, but anti-Russian sentiment discouraged them.

“We chose Argentina because it has everything we needed: Fantastic nature, a large country, beautiful mountains,” Prigolovkina, 34, told The Associated Press inside the home her family is renting in Argentina’s western Mendoza province. “We felt it would be ideal for us.”