Senior Engineer
Moscow, Russia, Sanctions. 2022
Dear customers!
I hope you know about Ukraine. February 24, 2022, Russian’s armed forces started special military operation immediately after speech of Vladimir Putin on TV.
My first reaction was, “What the fuc*ign going on“!? Regular military forces send to fight aboard of my country not every day. Even more, this is 1st time since I was born in 1991.
Within a couple week after I received tons of email from most US/UE-based companies that I worked: PayPal, UpWork, Fiverr, Namecheap, Google, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Booking, Airbnb etc. All of them inform that suspend business collaboration with me only, because I am located in Russia. Not because I have provided poor service. Not because I have violated their terms of service. The single reported reason is that I am located in the wrong country. State “Freelance is freedom” become sounds like a bad joke.
My World was failed. The last 7 years I worked Worldwide, but in a single day all platforms suspended my accounts. I could not get new contracts and earn money. I think about leaving Russia, but It was not as easy as sound. Yes, I can buy a ticket and fly, but only as a tourist. If I want to obtain a long-term visa, I must get an invitation from an employer or invest huge money. Both of these cases does not fit for solo freelancer.
I was under the huge stress, but understand that I can not to do anything. I don’t have sufficient resources to influence on the situation. When I realized and let it go, I calmed down and have started to wait. Yes, my life was changed, but not ended. I am unable to continue to work globally, but I stay in the biggest metropolis in the European part of the continent. I accepted the changed situation as a new basis and continue to live and work.
I am not refused from previously accepted obligations. I will finish all open contracts and provide promised results. However, I not consider a new jobs and contracts from outboard, except If you are able to provide me relocation support.
If you are my current or previous customer, you can contact me through the current channels(UpWork, WhatsApp etc.) or using the form at the right.
Copyright 2022 Maxim Kudryavtsev. All rights reserved.