Russian comedian and television host Mikhail Shats, who has been placed on Russia's Ministry of Justice register of "foreign agents," said he did not know how to carry on with his life during his first years after moving to Israel.
Shats made the comments in an interview with journalist Stanislav Kucher, who has also been designated a foreign agent by the Russian Ministry of Justice, published on YouTube.
Shats said that for roughly the first year or year and a half after leaving Russia, people in his situation kept their spirits up, running on adrenaline and the idea that they would manage regardless of what happened. He said that surge of energy eventually ran out.
He told Kucher he was thankful Kucher had not seen him two years earlier, describing that period of his life as a horror. He explained that at the time he could not accept how much his circumstances had changed and did not know what to do with himself.
A Shift in Outlook
Shats said his attitude changed after some time had passed, and that he now views his emigration as a new life rather than a loss. He added that he feels nostalgic about his past in Russia but understands that it is impossible to go back to it.
Foreign Agent Register
Russia's foreign agent law lets the Ministry of Justice label individuals and organisations it says are under foreign influence or receive foreign support. The designation has been applied to numerous journalists, activists and public figures who have criticised the Russian government or left the country, and it comes with extra reporting requirements and restrictions on their work.
Shats has previously said he does not consider his departure for Israel to be emigration at all. He has described himself as an Israeli who returned to his historic homeland.
