The Dark Side of Russian Escorts

Russian escorts have earned themselves an unrivaled reputation for seducing clients with their exotic beauty, intelligence and charm – captivating men across the world. However, Russian prostitution laws make prostitution illegal; women working as prostitutes may face police raids, beatings, extortion threats and illegal detentions as a result of working prostitution; nonetheless many continue doing it to support themselves and their families.

Prostitutes have long been drawn to the Western allure. Official Party propaganda depicted it as morally corrupt and decadent; post-perestroika, however, with sexualized culture and broken social mores meant women could cross boundaries that had once been unthinkable.

After Perestroika, Russia saw an unprecedented explosion of sexual workers. For instance, Saratov, an industrial city, saw 80 escort services serving one million residents – making women in this business often earn more per month than factory workers or teachers, plus they often specialize in targeting the wealthy and famous clients for escort services.

Prostitution in Russia serves not only as an income source for women but is also an entryway for trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation. Therefore, governments must recognize both its needs and vulnerabilities when providing protection and support to sex workers.

Russian sex workers have increasingly made the choice to branch off on their own and operate independently. While they still owe a portion of their earnings to hosts, this allows them to travel independently, set their own rates, and meet clients when convenient – without feeling pressured into fulfilling client requests or keeping schedules full.

These women can be at greater risk of exposure to HIV, which poses an existential threat to their health and that of their family members. HIV infection rates have been steadily rising among young women who work with partners who carry HIV or other Sexually Transmitted Infections. Furthermore, they lack access to medical care; most do not possess private health insurance plans.

Some sex workers in Russia are organizing themselves into communities to support one another and stay safe, sharing tips, resources for legal help and creating websites where women can connect. Their long-term goal is to expand their businesses so they can provide stable income for themselves and their families while creating a safer working environment for customers – but with Ukraine’s war threatening to spill into Russia further compromising these efforts, and potentially further disrupting women’s businesses.