FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Russian Roots is a French non-profit organization (association), established under the French Law of 1901 and founded in October 2022, that connects people adopted from Russia or other countries of the former Soviet Union with their birth country. The association carries out a range of activities, the main ones being birth family searches, the search for biological parents and siblings, and the organization of trips to Russia. It also provides assistance with the renewal of Russian passports, builds partnerships, organizes events, manages WhatsApp groups for adoptees and adoptive parents, and supports orphanages.
The association’s mission is to help adoptees find answers to the many questions they may have, shed light on their lives before adoption, and provide them with the missing pieces needed to better understand their identity and strengthen their sense of self. Everyone should be able to know where they come from and who brought them into the world, making the search for one’s birth family an important step in building personal well-being and a stronger sense of identity.
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 civil registry and medical records, and succeeded in locating all of his biological relatives, including his father. Today, he feels at peace and fulfilled. Drawing on his own experience and his network of contacts he has built, he now helps other adoptees from the countries of the former Soviet Union, particularly Russia, who live all over the world, in their quest to find their origins. Fluent in four languages and holding a Master’s degree in Tourism with a specialization “Russian world”, he also organizes trips to Russia both for adoptees and their families wishing to discover the birth country and, whenever possible, meet their birth family, as well as for anyone wishing to (re)discover Russia, its history, cultures, heritage and vast regions.
Russian Roots is made up of an executive board, members, international delegates, and external experts, including psychologists specializing in Russian adoption and teachers of Russian.
Russian Roots association works in partnership with with several well-established organizations, including Voice of Adoptees (La Voix d’Adoptés), the Association of Parents Adopting in Russia (APAER) and the Psychological Support Program for Adoptees (DAPHA). The association also benefit from the support of Mr Alexander Orlov, who served as Russian Ambassador to France from 2008 to 2017. Furthermore, the association has been listed as an association of adopted persons on the website of the International Adoption Mission (MAI), which operates under the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Finally, an article highlighting the activities of Russian Roots was featured in The Bear Magazine (L’Ours Magazine), and positive testimonials from people who have contacted the association have also 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 4 months (since August 23, 2025). 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 30 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”).