Остров
NAYANOVA — Эмиграция и бизнес001
Survey for expats under 29: help with a master's thesis
A subscriber asks expats under 29 to complete a survey for a Sri Lankan woman's master's thesis about living abroad.
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Expats
Expat life: communities, services and the experience of moving to the island.
002
Immortal Regiment march in Colombo
The Immortal Regiment march took place in Colombo, led by the Russian ambassador, with support from Sri Lankan military and other diplomats.
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Review of the Kicks billiard club in Ahangama
The author shares personal experience visiting the Kicks billiard club in Ahangama, founded by Russian-speaking entrepreneurs Oleg and Max.
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Foreign tourists cleaned Weligama beach and made the news
A group of foreign tourists in Weligama organised a voluntary beach cleanup and received wide coverage in the local press.
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Community cleanups in Dewata and Weligama successful
In Dewata over 25 people filled a garbage truck with plastic, while in Weligama the cleanup coincided with the city's own effort and surprised officials with foreigners' participation.
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Cleanup meetup points in Dewata, Weligama and Hikkaduwa
Meetup points and times published for the April 5 cleanup: Closenberg beach (Dewata), KAIYO restaurant (Weligama), and the riverside with monitors (Hikkaduwa).
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Community cleanup on April 5: islanders unite
More than 20 Russian-speaking islanders agreed to hold a community cleanup on April 5 in Weligama, Dewata and Hikkaduwa with support from local businesses.
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Daily Mirror on overtourism and Israeli 'occupation' of Lanka
A Daily Mirror article on overtourism and the large Israeli tourist presence in Sri Lanka — the channel provides a translation for Russian-speaking readers.
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Olga: from art director to drawing teacher on the Island
Olga Kot has lived on the Island with her family for two years: a former art director and business owner in Russia, she now teaches drawing to children and adults.
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Day 7 in Colombo: meetings on business legalization
The author describes day seven in Colombo: breakfast, a meeting with participants in a business legalization pilot program, and plans for a trip to Tangalle.
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Mass inspections and expat exodus from the Island
Three months after the author's departure, the situation for foreign businesses deteriorated sharply: mass inspections, deportations, snitching, and seizures forced many to leave the Island.
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Russians unable to run businesses due to visa restrictions
Following the 2024 'White Party' scandal, Sri Lankan authorities effectively stopped issuing resident visas to Russians and intensified inspections of Russian-founded businesses.
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Volleyball for all levels in Galle on Mondays and Fridays
An invitation to weekly international volleyball games in Galle every Monday and Friday from 4 to 6 PM.
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Russian entrepreneurs concerned over tighter visa policy
Representatives of the Russian-speaking business community in Sri Lanka report that resident visas have effectively stopped being issued and inspections of Russian-owned businesses are intensifying.
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Locals opposed to foreigners running businesses on tourist visas
Video footage captures local hostility toward Russians, Ukrainians, and Israelis conducting business on tourist visas in Sri Lanka.
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English speaking club on building habits in Weligama
Tomorrow in Weligama there will be a free English speaking club meeting on the topic of building good habits.
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Karaoke night at Shenanigans pub in Weligama
On Sunday, Shenanigans Irish pub in Weligama will host a beer and karaoke night with a contest for the loudest group.
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KIDSUP children's camp opens from December 16 near Galle
From December 16, the KIDSUP children's camp opens for children aged 6 and over with a program, meals, and transfer from Galle.
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Russian-speaking community gathering at Shenanigans
The "elephants" team invites new island residents to meet over burgers and beer at Shenanigans pub in Weligama.
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Russia leads tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka at the start of December
In the first four days of December, Russia became the largest source of tourists in Sri Lanka with 4,418 arrivals, driven by resumed charter flights.
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English speaking club resumes in Weligama
The author returned to the island and is launching a new season of free English speaking club meetings in Weligama.
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Anna is looking for musicians for a joint project
Channel author Mumi Anna is looking for musicians in Sri Lanka — details available in stories and via a linked interview.
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House of Russian cuisine and creative community on the Island
Ostrov channel subscribers watch a video mentioning a 'House of Russian Cuisine' and a creative community on the island.
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Morozov launches an archive photo chronicle of life on the Island
Andrei Morozov launched a challenge in his channel to post archival photos and videos starting from his arrival in Sri Lanka in November 2019.
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DJ school VSE SVOI in Sri Lanka
A DJ school from Surgut is running a contest together with the Ostrov channel, having worked in Sri Lanka for two years and covering cities across Russia and other countries.
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New International Children's Centre Opens in Galle
A children's centre for Russian-speaking expats opened in Galle, offering kindergarten, after-school classes, a pool, and Russian- and English-speaking teachers.
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English Conversation Marathon for Ostrov Islanders
TalkMuch school is launching an English conversation marathon with special terms for Ostrov channel subscribers.
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Charter Flights Sochi to Sri Lanka from November 7
AZUR air launches charter flights from Sochi to Sri Lanka on Boeing 767-300 every 10 days; an 11-night tour for two starts from 151,600 rubles.
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Halloween Party for Expat Kids
On October 26, a Halloween party with games, contests, and treats will be held at the kindergarten for 1,000 rupees per child.
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Morning coffee meetup for expats in Colombo
The male part of the Colombo expat community invites others to a morning meetup at Nikki cafe on September 27 at 10:30.
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Russian Embassy issues recommendations to citizens abroad
The Russian Embassy issued recommendations for Russian citizens living abroad.
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Islanders appeared in Indian action film The Greatest of All Times
Several island residents appeared in the Indian action film The Greatest of All Times, released on September 7.
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Russians abroad required to slow down YouTube themselves
Russian law now requires citizens living abroad to independently throttle their YouTube access.
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Most OSTROV Authors Have Left the Island
The channel reports that most of its authors have left the island and calls on readers to send news and join as new contributors.
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Audio Interview Collection with Island Residents
All interviews with island residents have been compiled into an audio collection — several hours of listening for those who prefer audio format.
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Anex Expands Charter Program to 7 Russian Cities
Tour operator Anex expands its Sri Lanka charter program to 7 Russian cities including Sochi, Kazan, and Novosibirsk, starting November.
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Aeroflot Direct Flights to Colombo Still Operating
Unlike Bali flights, Aeroflot direct flights from Moscow to Colombo continue to operate, with a flight time of 9 hours.
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KAIYO group opens Surf Sup Media Cafe in Moscow
The KAIYO group opened its new Surf Sup Media Cafe project in Moscow, creating a symbolic gateway from Russia to Sri Lanka.
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Japanese hiding on the island — Russians too
A playful post inspired by news about Japanese people hiding on the island, suggesting to find all islanders in hiding.
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St. Petersburg newspaper writes about island residents
The author delightedly discovered an article about Russian-speaking island residents in a St. Petersburg newspaper.
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Yandex report on Russian-speaking tourists in Sri Lanka
Yandex published a report showing 10% of 15 million CIS tourists are interested in Sri Lanka, with average spending of around $2300 per person.
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Popular expat phrases in Sri Lanka
A humorous collection of the most popular expressions used by Russian-speaking island residents, curated by the Southern chat.
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Looking for young people for a film shoot on the island
A casting call seeks young people aged 20-25 and a young blonde woman for a film shoot the following day in Sri Lanka.
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Surf's Up launches Telegram channel and cafe in Moscow
Russian-language surf school Surf's Up from Weligama launched a Telegram channel and is opening Surf's Up Media Cafe in Moscow.
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Acting in Sri Lanka films: how to participate
Stories about appearing in films on the island with testimonials and a form for those interested in participating as extras.
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FUN&SUN Expands Sri Lanka Charters to 7 Russian Cities
Tour operator FUN&SUN nearly doubles its charter flight geography to Sri Lanka for the winter season, adding Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Novosibirsk, Samara and Mineralnye Vody.
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Sri Lanka Expats Discover Food Abundance in Vietnam
Some Russian-speaking expats who moved from Sri Lanka to Vietnam are enthusiastically writing about the huge food variety and sausages available in local shops.
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Guide for Relocating to Vietnam
A guide published for those considering relocating from Sri Lanka to Vietnam.
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Islander Profile: Anton, 42, Galle, Entrepreneur
Standard expat community profile: Anton from Rostov-on-Don, 869 days on the island, living in Galle, working in consulting and gamification.
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Interview with Maxim from Balakovo Who Opened a Café in Ceylon
The Balakovo city website featured a local resident Maxim who opened the Muka and Cava cafés in Sri Lanka; the editorial team shares his interview amid a slow news day.
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Tropical House Concert by Vocal Students of Anton Sverchkov
Professional vocalist Anton Sverchkov hosted a house concert on the island where his students performed their prepared songs in a warm, palm-tree setting.
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All Ostrov Authors Collected in One Telegram Folder
Following the post about Ostrov authors, a link to a folder collecting all author channels in one place spread through the chats.
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Chekhov in Ceylon and Russian-Language Island Authors
The channel recalls Chekhov's visit to Ceylon and introduces Russian-language Telegram channel authors currently living in Sri Lanka.
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Meet Mark, Age 12, Living on the Island for 504 Days
A profile of 12-year-old Mark from St Petersburg, living in Galle for 504 days: loves rain and dreams of becoming a fashion designer.
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Census of the Island's Literary Community
The channel runs a poll to gauge how many writers, poets and would-be listeners or publishers are living on the island.
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Sri Lanka Among Top Destinations for Solo Female Travelers
Sri Lanka was named among the world's top destinations for solo female travellers in 2024.
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Andrei Grecha — Candidate from the Russian-Speaking Community
The channel jokingly endorses Andrei Morozov ('Grecha') as their candidate — someone who knows what to do and does it.
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Community Contest Results: Winners Announced
Ostrov wraps up the community contest: winners are named, event tickets distributed, with a total prize pool of several thousand rupees.
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Racism scandal over face control at Sarayka Lounge
A Sarayka Lounge event announced as "Face Control: White" sparked controversy and was deleted; the event was ultimately cancelled.
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The show scandal and the President's visit: week in review
The week's biggest story was a scandalous show that overshadowed President Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit, with the Russian Embassy riding the wave to boost Russian tourist interest.
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