FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Russian Roots is a French non-profit organization (association) founded in October 2022 that connects people adopted from Russia or former USSR territories with their birth country. The association’s main focus is helping adoptees trace their roots and find their biological parents and siblings. Additional activities include assisting with Russian passport renewals, building partnerships, organizing events, managing WhatsApp groups for adoptees and adoptive parents, and supporting orphanages.
The association’s project is dedicated to finding answers to the many questions adoptees may have, shedding light on their pre-adoptive life, and providing them with the missing pieces essential for building their identity and strengthening their sense of self. Everyone has the right to know where they come from and who brought them into the world, making the search for birth family an important step in achieving personal and identity equilibrium.
The founder of the association is Pavel Closson. He was born in 1998 in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, and was adopted by a French family at the age of five. In 2021, he began searching for his Russian roots using a few vital and medical records, and he was able to locate all the members of his biological family, including his father. Today, he feels at peace and fulfilled. Building on his own experience and the connections he has made, he now helps other adoptees from Russia, living across the globe, in their quest to find their birth family.
Russian Roots consists of an executive board, members, international delegates, and external experts, including psychologists specializing in Russian adoption issues and Russian language teachers.
Russian Roots organization collaborates with several recognized partners, including Voice of Adoptees (La Voix d’Adoptés), Association of Parents Adopting in Russia (APAER) and Psychological Support Program for Adoptees (DAPHA). We also benefit from the support of Alexander Orlov, who served as the Russian ambassador to France from 2008 to 2017. Additionally, we are officially recognized as an association for adoptees by the Mission for International Adoption (MAI), which is affiliated with the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. Furthermore, we are in the process of establishing a partnership with Rossotrudnichestvo (literally “Russian Cooperation”), which promotes cultural and linguistic ties between Russia and France. Lastly, an article about the activities of Russian Roots was featured in The Bear Magazine (L’Ours Magazine), and positive reviews from individuals who have reached out to us have already been published on our website.
Yes, even though many countries, including the United States, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, advise against it. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine, foreign nationals can still enter the Russian Federation. As of August 1, 2023, Russia has introduced a simplified system for issuing electronic visas valid for 2 months. Citizens of several countries, including Ireland (but excluding the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom), can apply for this e-visa* up to 4 days before their departure and may stay in Russia for up to 16 days. Additionally, adoptees from Russia, regardless of their current country of residence, are free to travel to their homeland, provided they hold a valid Russian passport.
For more details about traveling to Russia, please contact us.
* The complete list of eligible countries for the e-visa is available here.
Russian passport renewal for adoptees must be handled at a Russian consulate in your country of residence*.
In the United States, there are three Russian consulates: in Washington D.C., New York, and Houston.
In Canada: in Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal.
In Ireland: in Dublin.
In the United Kingdom: in London and Edinburgh.
If the passport has expired, the consulate will first verify citizenship before issuing a new one (the process typically takes approximately 5 months). However, if the passport is still valid but close to expiration, the renewal process is much simpler (expect a waiting time of about 3 months).
Russian Roots can assist you with this process, provided you are a member of our association.
For more information on renewing a Russian passport, please contact us.
* The complete list of Russian consulates by country is available here.
Starting January 1, 2024, military service is mandatory for Russian men aged 18 to 30 who permanently reside in Russia. Women are exempt from this requirement. Young men adopted in Russia who live permanently abroad and do not hold a Russian internal passport face no risk of being conscripted if they decide to visit Russia.
Legal Basis: Russian Federal Law No. 53-F3 of March 28, 1998 (Article 8, Paragraph 1) and Russian Government Decree No. 719 of November 27, 2006 (Article I, Paragraph 15, “d”).