Russian war exiles bring banyas and blinis to Buenos Aires

When Ilia Gafarov and Nadia Gafarova host the grand opening of their "banya", a traditional Russian sauna, in April, they hope it will help make a permanent home of their adopted city of Buenos Aires. "The Russian community has grown significantly while we've been here, and a banya is something they want too," said Ilia, who also cited demand by health-conscious locals. As Russia's war in Ukraine enters its third year, a growing number of Russian families are putting down roots around Latin America, according to previously unreported residency visa approval data from five countries and interviews with a dozen exiles and experts.