Protesting the Ukraine war.. A Russian diplomat turns into a baker

In Uruguay, thousands of kilometers away from a war waged by the country of his nationality against the country of her birth, former Russian diplomat Ekarina Germanovich has turned into a baker in protest against the war that has been going on for more than a year.

After quitting her job as an economic adviser at the Russian Embassy in Montevideo in protest of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, Ekarina Germanović carved a new path for herself and found solace in baking, which enabled her to win a national competition in Uruguay.

In an interview with Agence France-Presse after she became a well-known figure in the small Latin American country, Germanovich considered the war in Ukraine “a pain that will never go away.”

“The war created a rift that will take decades to mend,” she said at her home in Montevideo. “Families have been broken and separated.”

Born 40 years ago in Zaporizhia, Germanovich later moved to Moscow, where she grew up with her parents and siblings.

Childhood in Ukraine.. and a Russian passport

Germanovich holds only Russian citizenship, but she spent her childhood holidays in Ukraine and has relatives in both countries.

But she has been cut off from many of her relatives since the start of the war in Ukraine.

“In Ukraine, any contact with people in Russia is considered treason, and the same is true on the Russian side,” she told AFP, adding, “Some of our relatives in Ukraine have stopped communicating with us because we hold Russian citizenship.”

Resignation.. and depression

Germanovich resigned from her diplomatic post in March 2022, days after the start of the Russian operation in the western neighbor.

“I had a very promising career,” she said. “But I found it impossible to continue representing a government that bombed my home country.”

Germanovich, who speaks seven languages, said she struggled to find another job when she put an end to her 10-year diplomatic career and experienced “depression”.

Encouraged by friends, I took part in the Bake Off Uruguay TV show, which has prizes of up to 600,000 pesos (approximately $16,000).

On July 12, Germanović, out of 14 competitors, won the competition.

She noted that her baked goods are largely inspired by her Ukrainian maternal grandmother, who passed away during the contest period.

Do not intend to return to Russia

Germanovich, who is currently pregnant with her third child, confirmed that she is not afraid to express her views publicly, but does not intend to return to Russia “in the coming years.”

She considered that she did not want to risk the future of her two sons, especially the eldest, who is 16 years old, by taking them to a country where military service is compulsory for all citizens from the age of 18.

“I don’t know what would happen if I went to Russia,” she said.