Russia's Foreign (Would-Be) Citizens
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with U.S. boxer Roy Jones, Jr. in Sevastopol, Crimea, Aug. 19, 2015.
A Russian citizen since Sept.13, 2015, former world heavyweight boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for? citizenship in? August over a? cup of? tea when they met in? Crimea? — the? territory annexed by? Russia last year? — saying it would make doing business in? Russia much easier.
Putin said this would be possible if Jones planned to? spend a? significant part of? his life in? Russia, while the? boxer said he hoped sport could help "build a? bridge" between the? U.S. and? Russia.
Read the full story: Putin Gives Roy Jones Jr. Russian Citizenship
A Russian citizen since Sept.13, 2015, former world heavyweight boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for? citizenship in? August over a? cup of? tea when they met in? Crimea? — the? territory annexed by? Russia last year? — saying it would make doing business in? Russia much easier.
Putin said this would be possible if Jones planned to? spend a? significant part of? his life in? Russia, while the? boxer said he hoped sport could help "build a? bridge" between the? U.S. and? Russia.
Read the full story: Putin Gives Roy Jones Jr. Russian Citizenship
Aleksey Nikolskyi / Reuters
Jeff Monson (C) with his friends during a visit to typical Russian banya.
An American mixed martial (MMA) artist, Jeff Monson does not try to hide his love for Russia. A red T-shirt reading "Communist," a tattoo of Volgograd's Motherland Statue on his leg and photos of his travels around Russia on his Twitter account all testify to his desire to obtain a Russian passport.
He says he feels "Russian in spirit," and is still waiting for a verdict on his citizenship application.
An American mixed martial (MMA) artist, Jeff Monson does not try to hide his love for Russia. A red T-shirt reading "Communist," a tattoo of Volgograd's Motherland Statue on his leg and photos of his travels around Russia on his Twitter account all testify to his desire to obtain a Russian passport.
He says he feels "Russian in spirit," and is still waiting for a verdict on his citizenship application.
Jeff Monson / Twitter
Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst would also happily acquire a Russian passport — the musician comes to Moscow at every opportunity.
This call for a Russian wife might have something to do with it.
This call for a Russian wife might have something to do with it.
Antje Naumann (AllSystemsRed) / Wikicommons
Award-winning actor Gerard Depardieu has said he is ready to die for Russia, the country whose citizenship he adopted in 2013 to avoid paying higher taxes in his native France.
"I am ready to die for Russia because the people there are strong. I absolutely do not want to die a fool in modern-day France," Depardieu said in an interview with Vanity Fair.
Read the full story: Gerard Depardieu 'Ready to Die' for New Homeland Russia
"I am ready to die for Russia because the people there are strong. I absolutely do not want to die a fool in modern-day France," Depardieu said in an interview with Vanity Fair.
Read the full story: Gerard Depardieu 'Ready to Die' for New Homeland Russia
Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with U.S. actor Steven Seagal while visiting an oceanarium at Russky Island in the far eastern city of Vladivostok, Russia, Sept. 4, 2015.
"I hope that in? the future, I will become part of? this republic," Seagal was cited as saying by? Rossiiskaya Gazeta during a? visit to? Chechnya in? 2013. "Ramzan Akhmatovich [Kadyrov], I will always be your friend."
Seagal has no Russian citizenship for now. But cosying up to Putin is a good way to get it.
Read the full story: Kadyrov Hosts U.S. Actor Steven Seagal in Grozny (Photos)
"I hope that in? the future, I will become part of? this republic," Seagal was cited as saying by? Rossiiskaya Gazeta during a? visit to? Chechnya in? 2013. "Ramzan Akhmatovich [Kadyrov], I will always be your friend."
Seagal has no Russian citizenship for now. But cosying up to Putin is a good way to get it.
Read the full story: Kadyrov Hosts U.S. Actor Steven Seagal in Grozny (Photos)
Alexei Druzhinin / Reuters
The "Taxi" French movie star Samy Naceri caught everyone off guard when he said he would accept a Russian passport, if offered one.
"If famous people are so fascinated by your country that they want to have a Russian passport, there is nothing wrong with that. It tells about their desire to get to know your country more," the French actor told a Zvezda correspondent.
"If famous people are so fascinated by your country that they want to have a Russian passport, there is nothing wrong with that. It tells about their desire to get to know your country more," the French actor told a Zvezda correspondent.
Screenshot
Actor David Duchovny, famous for his roles in "Californication" and "X-Files," sparked controversy after appearing in? a Russian beer advertisement that has gone viral and? that critics say is too nationalistic.
Read the full story: David Duchovny Criticized for Viral Russian Beer Advert
"There is another country where I got my family name from, and? sometimes I wonder what if things turned out differently, what if I were Russian?" he says in? the ad, which has been viewed more than 8 million times on? YouTube.
Adding to? the uproar was a? comment Duchovny had tweeted just two months earlier: "I grew up thinking I was Russian only to? find recently that I've been Ukrainian all along. Never too late to? change."
Read the full story: David Duchovny Criticized for Viral Russian Beer Advert
"There is another country where I got my family name from, and? sometimes I wonder what if things turned out differently, what if I were Russian?" he says in? the ad, which has been viewed more than 8 million times on? YouTube.
Adding to? the uproar was a? comment Duchovny had tweeted just two months earlier: "I grew up thinking I was Russian only to? find recently that I've been Ukrainian all along. Never too late to? change."
Gage Skidmore / Wikicommons