Roma Liberov, a Russian filmmaker long captivated by the fate of exiled writers after the 1917 revolution, never imagined he would one day share their path. In January 2021, during the COVID pandemic, he left Russia driven by the belief that its people had become hostages of the state and that a large-scale war with Ukraine was imminent. Thirteen months later, the invasion began, confirming his fears. In 2023, he was officially labelled a “foreign agent”, making any return to Russia highly risky.
Now based in Britain, Liberov is torn between relief and regret. Though he’s dedicated himself to new artistic projects, he often wonders whether his voice would have been more powerful had he remained in Moscow, enduring the same hardships as those who stayed. “It’s always louder when you’re in the same cage,” he said. For some within Russia, his departure marks him as a traitor—someone who chose distance over solidarity.
To fight against cultural erasure, Liberov founded the initiative “We Exist!”—a name shared by his 2023 “film concert” featuring Russian musicians living in exile across the globe. He also runs a foundation promoting Russian arts throughout the diaspora. Echoing the early 20th-century exodus of artists and intellectuals like Vladimir Nabokov, Liberov seeks to remind the world—and Russia—that its displaced creatives still have a voice.
Liberov is equally drawn to those who stayed, despite repression. He often reflects on poet Anna Akhmatova, who remained in Russia despite intense persecution and loss. Her poetry, especially those aimed at her former lover who fled the country, mirrors the emotional divide between those who stayed and those who left—a divide Liberov now feels keenly.
In his farewell album Keys to Home, Liberov included Akhmatova’s poems and collaborations with musicians still inside Russia, despite facing rejection and fear from many. He avoids blame, believing mutual accusations only deepen the cultural rift. His work also honors persecuted artists, like pianist Pavel Kushnir and director Zhenya Berkovich, whose words and music he helps preserve and share globally.
Though he dreams of returning, Liberov is skeptical. Russia missed its post-Soviet opportunity to become truly free. “Will we ever have this chance again?” he wonders. “I pray for it. But I doubt it.”
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