Maria’s Global Talent visa

Hello everyone. Maria here.

The Arts Council England recognised me as a ‘exceptional promise and talent’ and I’m one step away from obtaining the Global Talent visa UK. To get the actual stamp in my passport I need your help.

I wouldn’t crowdfund for this cause, had it been before 2022. While it’s a great opportunity to move back to the UK, where I have many friends and colleagues, nowadays it’s more about moving to a place where I can live with no fear of prosecution for my words and actions against current political situation, where war can be called what it is, where I actually can be useful as a person and as an artist.

First and foremost consider helping those, who are currently fleeing areas directly affected by war.

Before the war it was risky enough to post online anything that would criticise current government or the pres himself. The police brutality had no limits, trial hearings were absurd. Since the war began it has gotten onto a whole new level. Fearing for imprisonment a lot of my friends have fled the country. Anyone speaking out privately or publicly against the war is potentially facing 10-15 years in prison, and the police, prosecutors and judges use all the measures known to them to prevent people from speaking, from doing, from thinking.
I was jailed twice for two nights, and it’s, to put it mildly, unpleasant to be stripped off your rights, dehumanised and laughed at by people in the uniform with unlimited power(zero stars out of ten on jailadvisor). So many people, who I know personally, got their flats raided by armed men, that I lost count. And yet it can’t be compared to being murdered, losing family members in air-raids and numberless other atrocities that people experience every day in another country. I hate speaking in tongue and finding my words carefully, but I must do so until I leave Russia. I can’t help anyone here anymore, and by trying to I put myself in great danger, and I hate admitting that.

First and foremost consider helping those, who are currently fleeing areas directly affected by war.

Thank you for getting to this point of my letter. There are many fees associated with getting a global talent visa. The largest is charged for IHS - Immigration Health Surcharge. For every year of the visa it’s £624, so for 7 years it’s

£624 x 7y + 6.9%=£4669

As long as it’s not paid, I can’t get a physical visa stamp.

This is a matter of urgency, and I will be able to return this money to you in 2-3 years. For that send me a direct message, so that I know it’s you, because I’m not sure if the names will automatically appear here. I can’t pay using my Russian bank cards, as the banks are under sanctions, that’s why my best friend’s (who a lot of you know) Finnish bank account is being used.

I want to emphasise, that the sum I’m crowdfunding is only a fracture of my current expenses. I work a lot, and all other fees associated with endorsement, visa, transport, accommodation in UK and living expenses, etc etc are obviously on me. But for immigration health surcharge I need your help.

Peace