Evgeny Shtorn

Evgeny Shtorn (Russian: Евгений Шторн) is an LGBT activist, organizer, scholar and poet.

Shtorn was born in Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic in 1983 and moved to St.Petersburg, Russia in 2000 at the age of 17. He studied in Saint Petersburg State Electrotechnical University 'LETI' and in Russian State Institute of Performing Arts. He speaks and write in Spanish, English and Russian. In St. Petersburg he was working in the Centre for Independent Social Research with Viktor Voronkov and other prominent sociologists. He completed master's degree in sociology in Higher School of Economics under the supervision of Elena Omelchenko. In 2018 Shtorn was forced to leave Russia due to political repression from the Russian government under Vladimir Putin and the legislation against independent NGOs known as foreign agent law the Russian gay propaganda law that was enacted in 2013.

In 2018 Shtorn claimed international protection in the Republic of Ireland. He was initially sent to Balseskin Reception Center in Finglas where he started his first book 'Chronicles of Refugee' about life in direct provision. He is praised by his interviewees for his raw, personal poetry and analysis of the social issues he is involved with as well as studies.

Early life Shtorn was born in Kazakhstan in 1983 (known then as: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic). When Evgeny was a teenager, many young Russian-language speaking school graduates chose to travel from Kazakhstan to Russia for academic purposes. He moved to St.Petersburg in 2000 at the age of 17, and shortly afterwards came out as gay. He quickly identified with the LGBT population in St.Petersburg and became increasingly more involved in the community.

When Shtorn became a student, he applied for his Russian passport and was able to get it quite easily. 10 years later he was told, without warning, that there was a problem and his passport had been issued improperly. Concerned for his status, Evgeny went to the Kazakhstan embassy in hopes to rectify the issues, but they rescinded his citizenship as well. This meant that he was now a stateless person.

While Putin is enforcing the Russian gay propaganda law, the government is also working to dismantle N.G.O institutions. The Russian foreign agents law requires that N.G.O's who receive foreign funding submit specific reporting requirements. This set limitations to the research occurring at Centre for Independent Social Research where Evgeny and his partner Alexander work, as the centre ended up on a list for government surveillance.

LGBT activism in Russia and the Russian Gay Propaganda Law In 2013 Vladimir Putin and the federal parliament pass a ban on what can be described as propaganda of homosexuality or non-traditional sexual relations. and other sources. While Russian government is enforcing this ban, it is also working to dismantle N.G.O institutions. The Russian foreign agents law requires N.G.O's that receive foreign funding to submit to specific reporting requirements, this set limitations to the research occurring at Centre for Independent Social Research where Evgeny work when the centre ends up on a list for government surveillance. This means that Evgeny who is working at a foreign funded N.G.O centre, living as a stateless person studying LGBT issues is then faced with great difficulty after applying for his Russian passport after the 5-year wait on residency permit.

"Translating Myself (Translated from Original Spanish)"

Personal life

While Evgeny Shtorn was living in St.Petersburg, he met his current partner Alexander Kondakov; a PHD scholar in sociology and LGBT activist as well. Evgeny and Alexander had a room in a communal apartment together in St. Petersburg and they also adopted a cat.

In St.Petersburg; during the mid-2000s, the gay movement was beginning to develop on a wider and more pronounced scale. People were becoming more open and more LGBT spaces began appearing - not just spaces in bars or nightlife, but in research, academia, discussion groups, film festivals. Evgeny was heavily involved throughout all of these progressive changes. However, Evgeny describes his life in Russia during these times as "living in a bubble" or in the "bubble of the N.G.O" because he was surrounded by his non-judgemental community and is reported saying that it was very different outside this bubble.

After fleeing Russia and seeking asylum in Ireland, Evgeny began living within the direct provision system. He has a small bed and small living space, he cannot have overnight guests, he gets 3 meals a day (but cannot cook). Alexander is not in Ireland with Evgeny, Alexander explains: "I would go wherever he is, right, but I'm just a citizen of Russia. I have to get a visa to any country I want to visit." Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen states in a New Yorker interview she did with Alexander and Evgeny that "if they were a straight couple, who had been together for 15 years, they would probably be married and there probably wouldn't be a question of whether they are seeking asylum together."

When Gessen asks Evgeny what is preventing him from seeing the future he responds with "Tiredness. I'm very tired. You know the feeling, to wake up tired after sleeping 10 hours you wake up and you are tired? This is the type of tiredness I have."

Evgeny is currently taking a course at the University of Galway, he spends his days studying in the library, researching for his two creative positions and his managerial duties for the Queer Diaspora. He is writing poetry, collaborating with other poets in Ireland. He writes about topics such as his experience taking asylum, living in the direct provision, his struggle with oppression in Putin's Russia and the imperative value in fighting for human dignity and the right to live and love with freedom and joy.