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Most Famous Foreigners With Russian Passports

© Flickr / Televisione StreamingGerard Depardieu.
Gerard Depardieu. - Sputnik International
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In the Russian city of Saransk a center is about to open named after the French movie star Gerard Depardieu, who will celebrate his three-year anniversary as a Russian citizen. Depardieu became part of a trend of “new wave of immigration” by famous athletes and artists to Russia.

From Korea With Love

The first person to become part of the new wave of immigration to Russia is the world famous short-track speed skating Korean athlete, Ahn Hyun-soo.

© Sputnik / Vladimir Pesnya / Go to the mediabankSix-time Olympic champion of Russia in short-track Viktor Ahn shows his medals during an interview given in a hostel of the Olympic Reserve Training School. (File)
Six-time Olympic champion of Russia in short-track Viktor Ahn shows his medals during an interview given in a hostel of the Olympic Reserve Training School. (File) - Sputnik International
Six-time Olympic champion of Russia in short-track Viktor Ahn shows his medals during an interview given in a hostel of the Olympic Reserve Training School. (File)

In December 2011, he received a Russian passport and took a new name — Viktor Ahn. One of the most accomplished short track speed skaters of all time, Ahn won three gold medals and a bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics held in Turin, Italy, becoming the most successful athlete there.

Snowboarding Knows No Boundaries

In summer of 2011, American snowboarder Vic Wild married Russian beauty Alaine Zavarzin, in the spring of next year Wild became a Russian national.

© Sputnik / Maksim Blinov / Go to the mediabankTwo-time Olympic snowboarding champion Vic Wild and Olympic snowboarding bronze medalist Alyona Zavarzina during the welcoming of the Russian Olympic national team members on their arrival at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport from Sochi. (File)
Two-time Olympic snowboarding champion Vic Wild and Olympic snowboarding bronze medalist Alyona Zavarzina during the welcoming of the Russian Olympic national team members on their arrival at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport from Sochi. (File) - Sputnik International
Two-time Olympic snowboarding champion Vic Wild and Olympic snowboarding bronze medalist Alyona Zavarzina during the welcoming of the Russian Olympic national team members on their arrival at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport from Sochi. (File)

During the Olympics in Sochi, Wilde became a double champion and his wife took a bronze medal. The couple managed to expand Russia’s Olympics medal collection in snowboarding, as Wilde took two gold medals, his wife a bronze medal, and Ekaterina Ilyukhina won silver.

Very Russian Soul — Gerard Depardieu

Gerard Depardieu, frustrated by the tax burden back in his home country, France, began to look closely for other options. First he went to Belgium and then he came to Russia. Here, he received a Russian passport in 2013.

He also received registration in the capital of Mordovia, Saransk, and an apartment in Grozny from the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov.

© Sputnik / Evgeniy Biyatov / Go to the mediabankGerard Depardieu at Crimean wine tasting
Gerard Depardieu at Crimean wine tasting - Sputnik International
Gerard Depardieu at Crimean wine tasting

Depardieu later admitted that he loves his Russian passport and feels deep down “very Russian”.

Roy Jones in Russian Suburbs

Roy Jones Jr. received a Russian passport in October 2015. The ex-world champion in four weight categories has made a name for himself in the United States, where he spent most of his professional career. 

© Sputnik / Vladimir Fedorenko / Go to the mediabankBoxer Roy Jones Jr. attends plenary meeting of the State Duma of the Russian Federation. (File)
Boxer Roy Jones Jr. attends plenary meeting of the State Duma of the Russian Federation. (File) - Sputnik International
Boxer Roy Jones Jr. attends plenary meeting of the State Duma of the Russian Federation. (File)

According to the boxer, he liked to come to Russia so much that he decided to change his citizenship and “build a bridge” between his former country and the present one.

Jones Jr. is especially fond of Crimea, which according to him resembles his home.

The boxer has ambitious plans: he plans to settle in the suburbs and buy a “dacha” [country-house] in Crimea. He also wants to learn Russian and open a Boxing Academy here.

Pioneer of Cultural Immigration

One of the pioneers of cultural immigration to Russia is the Italian conductor and pianist, Fabio Mastrangelo, who made his debut at the Mikhailovsky Theater in St. Petersburg in 2002.

Nine years after the debut, Mastrangelo received Russian citizenship. He worked in Yekaterinburg where he was chief conductor of the local opera and ballet theater. His wife is from Novosibirsk, a flutist Olesia Tertychnaya.

© AP Photo / Donato FasanoA view of the Bari province symphonic orchestra directed by Fabio Mastrangelo, at right in foreground, during a concert to mark the reopening of the Petruzzelli theatre, in Bari southern Italy. (File)
A view of the Bari province symphonic orchestra directed by Fabio Mastrangelo, at right in foreground, during a concert to mark the reopening of the Petruzzelli theatre, in Bari southern Italy. (File) - Sputnik International
A view of the Bari province symphonic orchestra directed by Fabio Mastrangelo, at right in foreground, during a concert to mark the reopening of the Petruzzelli theatre, in Bari southern Italy. (File)

Currently, he heads the St. Petersburg Music Hall, several annual music festivals and a unique cruise project called “Classic over the Volga” with the participation of soloists of the Bolshoi Theatre and the Helikon Opera.

Conductor from Athens

Teodore Currentzis was born in Athens. He studied orchestral conducting art at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory from 1994 to 1999.  He collaborated with a variety of theaters and Russian musicians.

From 2004 to 2010 Currentzis served as principal conductor of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, the largest opera theatre in northern Russia, where he founded the Musica Aeterna Ensemble and the New Siberian Singers Chamber Choir.

© Sputnik / Vladimir Vyatkin / Go to the mediabankConductor Teodor Currentzis, winner of Best Opera Conductor for The Indian Queen, a Perm Chaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre production, during the Golden Mask Performance Award ceremony at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theatre
Conductor Teodor Currentzis, winner of Best Opera Conductor for The Indian Queen, a Perm Chaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre production, during the Golden Mask Performance Award ceremony at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theatre - Sputnik International
Conductor Teodor Currentzis, winner of Best Opera Conductor for The Indian Queen, a Perm Chaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre production, during the Golden Mask Performance Award ceremony at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theatre

In 2011 Currentzis became one of the leaders of the “cultural revolution” in Perm, where he headed the local theater of opera and ballet and three years later became a citizen of Russia.

Currentzis has been the music director of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre since February 2011.

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