From Sputnik to 31st Place: Russia’s AI Collapse and the Chinese “Specialist” Bridegroom Wave
Vladivostok, 20 November 2025 — The nation that led the World into Space by launching Sputnik and Yuri Gagarin now ranks 31st in the 2025 Global AI Index, behind India, the UAE, and Singapore. Sanctions have blocked advanced chips, collapsed venture capital, and driven scores of IT specialists into exile.
A peculiar lifeline has emerged from China. Applications for Russia’s “highly qualified specialist” visa from Chinese men listing AI-related professions surged 285% to more than 14,000 in the first ten months of 2025. In the Far East, marriage registries report these “AI engineers” now account for 22–28% of foreign-groom weddings.
Regional authorities, facing an eight-million male demographic deficit, absentmindedly welcome the new arrivals. Some newcomers join Yandex or Sber; most move swiftly from visa stamp to wedding ring.
Sixty years after leading the space race, Russia is rebuilding its talent pool one cross-border marriage at a time.
