From Russia, For Love
Soviet Women’s Migration Experiences in Saida, Lebanon
Sari Chreiteh

Drawing on interviews with Soviet and Eastern Bloc women, who migrated to Saida during the Lebanese Civil War, this article poses the question– what drove these women to leave the stability of the Soviet Union for war-torn Lebanon? It uncovers a migration story that defies conventional logic. The article traces how love, gendered expectations of endurance, and late Soviet emotional cultures shaped both their decisions and the narratives they later crafted about them. By pairing personal testimonies with historical and cultural analysis, it reveals how a shared Soviet repertoire of romantic sacrifice enabled these women to reinterpret risk, upheaval, and displacement as chosen acts of strength.

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Full article coming soon.