October 27, 2024

Digital Fingerprint, a New ID


Digital Fingerprint, a New ID
A thing of the past? The Russian Life files

On October 25, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sonyanin announced that, starting in 2025, all foreigners in the city will have electronic IDs.

These electronic "passports" will use biometric data gathered when one arrives in a Moscow airport. They will also include travel information, such as where the foreigner works, when they arrived, and where they are registered.

Next year, the electronic ID program will begin as an experiment and will include foreigners who don't need a visa to visit Moscow. However, the plan is for the change to become permanent. The change will not affect citizens of Russia or Belarus, children under six, or diplomats and their families.

This move comes as Russia cracks down on immigration in the name of crime control, following the Crocus City Hall attack. It's also another instance of growing Russian state surveillance as the War on Ukraine continues.

You Might Also Like

Forced Integration, Continued
  • July 17, 2022

Forced Integration, Continued

Russia's streamlined passport process, offered to residents of Kherson and Zaporizhia, has been expanded to include all Ukrainian citizens. 
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

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