Eugen RochkoToday marks the 20th anniversary of me arriving in Germany with my parents. If they hadn't abandoned their jobs, friends and family and taken me out of Russia, I might very well have perished by now.
stux⚡️@Gargron Where you born in Russia? 😮
ECHAEA@Gargron
We can all thank them 🙏
We can all thank them 🙏
joy larkin 🌺✨Bless your parents and their sacrifices, Eugen. ❤️
Jari Nikkinen@Gargron Good... Russia went downhill the moment they elected Putin & refused to change....
I'm grateful to your parents, because your work lead to the eventual rise of the #fediverse as we know it today , true alternative to big tech controlled social media.
ꙮ 𝄃𝄁𝄂𝄀𝄀𝄁𝄃🇫🇯🇱🇨🇱🇧@Jarska96 Nobody asks us, all elections are rigged
@liilliil You also left Russia behind?
Yeah. USSR never truly died...
Juho Mäntysalo
Dima Pasechnik 🇺🇦 🇳🇱@iju @Jarska96 @Gargron I left Russia in early 1992, and it was more or less obvious to me that nothing good would happen with the country. Why? Because KGB etc. stayed put, and rode the Aug 1991 putch out more or less intact. Yeltsyn relied on them, and as a result KGB became the most powerful group in the country, a beast no longer controlled by the ruling party. The rest we know.
GJ Groothedde 🇪🇺@Gargron We're all very glad that you made it out of there! Happy Anniversary!
Erik Uden 🚩@Gargron thank you for being here ❤️❤️❤️
JagroNL
GertrudeZane 🇺🇦@Gargron
So thankful that your parents had the wisdom, courage and the means to flee with you from Russia 20 years ago. What sacrifices they made! What risks they took! All for the love of freedom for you and for themselves.
Have a most wonderful 20th Anniversary celebration!
@Gargron с чего бы? На вас охотились?
lupus_blackfur
Eldritch kcarruthers@Gargron good call 👏
4everpushingaboulder@Gargron my maternal grandfather left Russia in 1909 for the United States. My paternal great grandfathers came from Torchin, Ukraine and Rodom, Poland 1907.
Ironic my children are asking me today how they knew when it was time.
Lorrie WHappy 20th anniversary 🥳🎉🥂
(((JaneinNJ)))@Gargron Glad they made that choice—and that you grew up to be talented and public-minded. Thank you for your hard work.
HypernerdsKai@Gargron Traurig, aber leider hast du wohl recht. 😞 Ich bete für alle denen es anders geht! 🙏
Trolli Schmittlauch 🦥@Gargron Freedom of movement is everybody's right! 
Bssr4 (TЯ☭M₽ )@Gargron
Congrats & Good Luck!
Congrats & Good Luck!
David 
+And look at the community we'd lose, the community you helped to make!
I'm every day thankful for the enrichment to my life Mastodon has been as a social media platform, and these people you brought together.
Quantum@crossdavidl @Gargron Indeed, Mastodon is what we always had in mind, when we were losing our time at Twitter complaining about trolls (even before Musk).
Vitalik@Gargron so do you have any actual position on russian invasion and maybe a message to the world, or do you join the silence of all the russians in russia’s war?
Beggar Midas@Gargron You'd almost certainly be dead, unless you were in Moscow or St. Petersburg proper.
Elena Savinova@Beggarmidas @Gargron So there are no people in Russia other than in Moscow or St. Petersburg, all other cities and rural areas are dead?
@savinova @Gargron Rumor has it there are some rural oblast villiages with no men left between 14-65. Conscription is being unevenly enforced among the outer oblasts as it usually is. Those not dead are in hiding, found some medical pretext precluding active service or already fled the country. It's pretty grim among the ethnic populations, according to a few little birds I hear from occasionally.
EloPup@Gargron
Well, you and your family definitely did Germany a favour by coming here :)!
Hope you can look back positively all in all on this occasion (on your parent‘s decision and your time in Germany).
Happy anniversary to you and your family 😊
Ruben Schade 
🔰 🇦🇺
Kiraso@Gargron It worked so well for you and for all of us here! But it's a bit sad that Russia went the way it went and lost so many talented people to immigration
James A Nielsen@Gargron The things that parents do for their children! My grandmother was pregnant with my mother when she arrived at Ellis Island from Sweden. So glad you all escaped tyranny, and you were able to create this important space where we can say "Thank You" !
Dagnabbit, Pascaline! 💥@Gargron
As so many already expressed, I am glad too that you made it to Germany. We need more people like you and your parents. So glad you're here. As I type this I realise you may never know about me and why I appreciate this so much, but here I am nonetheless, my youngest cat on my belly, and type this in a small box you helped create.
Thank you.
As so many already expressed, I am glad too that you made it to Germany. We need more people like you and your parents. So glad you're here. As I type this I realise you may never know about me and why I appreciate this so much, but here I am nonetheless, my youngest cat on my belly, and type this in a small box you helped create.
Thank you.
oldfartjmb says FREE PALESTINESometimes good things happen too. I'm so glad you're here with us. Thank you for all you've done and do.
Su_GA tough thing to do, a tough decision to make... congratulations to you & your family on celebrating it 20 years later. 🙂
D.L 🌟
SomeAnoTooter@Gargron it's incredible what some parents will do for their kids future.
Bless those awesome parents!
Bless those awesome parents!
Amᵃᵖanda | map data witch
🤖 Bip-bop the Bot 🇷🇺@Gargron Congratulations on the great holiday — the day of the Red Army and Navy (modern name «the day of the defender of the Motherland») that we widely celebrate today here in Russia!
liberloebi 📖@Gargron Please feel welcome, whatever happens today. And kudos to your parents!
Serge Medoff@Gargron
Danke fürs Teilen! Ich wusste nicht, dass Du in Deutschland lebst.
Danke fürs Teilen! Ich wusste nicht, dass Du in Deutschland lebst.
Adam Wysokiński
Urs Lesse 🇪🇺🇺🇳@Gargron 15-20 years ago, my primary school teacher mother told me what the Russian parents of a pupil of hers had told her: Sparing their child the dehumanizing horrors of Russian military service was a key reason for them to emigrate. And their main consideration then was "just" Russian military in peace time.
LotharMucki 🦄@Gargron
Es ist super, dass du hier bist, Eugen! ☺️
Es ist super, dass du hier bist, Eugen! ☺️
Mausmaki 🇧🇷🇻🇪@Gargron Thanks for clarifying that and your precious investments in FOSS - we ALL do appreciate.
Open Risk@Gargron we need to create a world where people thrive and live full lives at peace with each other and nature wherever they are. Its not utopic, its a necessity for our survival.
And the #fediverse you are helping in its baby steps is an integral part of that journey. You are already an inspiration for many.
Ponygirl@Gargron Don't come to America or you'll jump from the fire into the pot.
stefan (stefbun)@Gargron My parents came here like 30 years ago from what was left of the Sowjet-Union. We had some people who were expelled from germany. Kinda sad that this might as well happen again... 
Well I am obvs dramatizing stuff but there is a certain mood in the air. I really hope the people make the right choices today
Well I am obvs dramatizing stuff but there is a certain mood in the air. I really hope the people make the right choices today