How the OKA Agency Builds a Trust Ecosystem for New Residents of Russia

One of the main barriers before moving is the lack of reliable information about what is really happening in Russia.

The OKA Agency relies on transparency.

International media often engage with us in dialogue. We spoke openly and honestly about modern life in Nizhny Novgorod, about real opportunities for professional growth, and about why foreign professionals and their families choose our region.

Foreign nationals themselves who have moved with the Agency's support also share their experiences, talking about their own adaptation and new life in interviews with various media outlets.

The Agency's own media presence is also growing: three episodes of the podcast “Do(not) move to Russia” have already been released, where the host Jakob Pinneker, together with foreign guests, discuss various aspects of life in Russia in a conversational format.

You cannot learn about Russia through news alone.

The news cannot replace personal experience—this is the principle behind the Agency's organization of blog tours for foreign bloggers. Participants in these trips get to know the Nizhny Novgorod region, its traditions, and its authentic culture directly: they interact with local residents and then share their impressions with their audiences abroad.

Almost every Agency event becomes an opportunity to showcase the Nizhny Novgorod region to foreigners.

The OKA Agency's events in the first half of the year covered a variety of formats: strategic sessions of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, international conferences, educational forums, and meetings with universities, business, and government representatives.

At these platforms, issues of integrating foreign specialists, developing the regional economy, training personnel, and creating conditions for new residents were discussed.

All of this forms a stable ecosystem in which foreign families receive support not only from the Agency but also from a wide circle of regional partners.

For some migrants, moving to Russia is a conscious choice in favor of traditional family values. The OKA Agency shares and supports this choice.

In January, Jakob Pinneker participated in the XXXIV International Christmas Readings, and in May he attended a meeting of the coordinating body “Quarter of All Religions,” where cultural integration was discussed.

At a conference on the contribution of Russian Orthodox culture to intercivilizational dialogue, a family that moved to the Nizhny Novgorod region with the Agency's support spoke about their story of relocation and conversion to Orthodoxy, highlighting the special role of faith in preserving traditions in the modern world.

In May, on Radio “Obraz,” Jakob Pinneker emphasized how important it is for foreigners to find a spiritual and moral foundation in Russia and a sense of home.

The specialists at the OKA Agency know from personal experience that moving is stressful, especially when you have children with you. That is why the Agency also provides assistance with everyday and social issues identified by the migrant community itself.

On March 31, a navigation event was held on the structure of the Russian healthcare system and accessing quality medical care. This event helped foreign nationals not only understand the specifics of the healthcare system but also ask their most pressing questions directly to healthcare representatives.

On June 16, at “School 800,” certificates were presented to children from foreign families who had completed Russian language courses. Seeing the children settle into their new environment is the best reward for us.

On May 5, the OKA Agency, together with foreign families, held the environmental initiative “Garden of Memory”—planting trees in honor of the spring holidays. This was a wonderful opportunity for informal communication and getting to know your neighbors.

For everyone considering a move, the Nizhny Novgorod region will not just be a region on the map of Russia.

Through the work of the OKA Agency, it is becoming a place where you can receive professional support, implement your plans, start a business, build a career, and begin a new chapter of your life surrounded by a community that is genuinely invested in your successful future.

And this is confirmed by those who have already taken this decisive step.