October 19 marks Father's Day in Russia. American IT consultant Jozef Schutzman, who moved to Russia with his family, is celebrating the holiday alongside Russians. Jozef and his wife Ann are raising seven children and are expecting their eighth. Both spouses hail from traditional Catholic families — Jozef was the eldest of twelve children, and Ann was the eldest of thirteen.

Jozef Schutzman built a successful career in the American IT industry, holding senior positions at corporations like Microsoft, Oracle, and Red Hat. However, when US states began passing laws permitting minors to change their gender without parental consent and continued to aggressively promote LGBT ideology (a movement banned and designated as extremist in Russia), the couple realized their children must grow up in a country where traditional values are protected and all necessary conditions are created for family life and development.

In 2023, the family sold all their possessions in the United States and relocated to Russia. Jozef runs the popular blog "Home in Russia," where he shares insights into Russian life. Together with fellow American Eddie Gonzales, he has launched a political talk show, "Russia Up Close." Their mission is to convey the truth about Russia to audiences in Western countries.

In an interview with TASS, Jozef discussed the reasons for moving to Russia, the crisis of family values in the West, and his love for his new homeland.

Why did you decide to move to Russia?

America had been moving in a very liberal direction for decades. This didn't happen overnight, but after the COVID period, the shift became especially pronounced. The people on the so-called left emerged from lockdowns after spending much time online, experimenting with their identities, and I no longer recognized our country compared to just a few years before.

It was a real wake-up call. I remember my father — I'm the oldest of 12 — was very concerned about the America I would grow up in. Wokeness was already rising and only worsened as I got older. How would he provide for us? How would we hold onto our principles and the traditional values he taught us? For my own family, we reached a point where staying was no longer feasible. We had six children when we began considering leaving.

Many people focus on the present, but my children would have to grow up in a generation that seemed deeply lost. Many kids are years behind in school and weren’t strong students to begin with — now it’s even worse. And all this ideology has grown even stronger. I decided: my children will not spend their lives among this. They will not mix and marry into such a generation. I still have good friends and family who hold traditional values, but my main responsibility as a father is to my children — I want them to live in a normal society.

Was it hard to move?

We sold everything: our house, car, antiques, and family heirlooms. We came with only ten suitcases because the tariffs are very high to bring stuff to Russia. We packed a few precious items wrapped in clothes. The flight took 30 hours with six children — it was hectic and not easy. I’ve never said it was easy to come to Russia, but it was worth it. I can say with 100 percent truth that we have never regretted being here. We are grateful to be here today.

What were the underlying reasons for your decision to leave the United States? Why do you think family values are in crisis in the West?

In America, this focus on wokeness and individualism means everyone is told to decide for themselves who they are. We all have free choice — that’s what God gave us — but the role of formation was lost. Now, suddenly, a three-year-old should decide whether or not they're a boy or they're a girl, whether they want to be a liberal, leftist, or they want to be a right-wing extremist. Well, that's not permitted, but anyways. That's the only thing that you're not allowed to do. Parents are responsible for their children’s formation, but we’ve destroyed the concepts of mother and father in society. Here, I hear President Putin speak about this often — how "parent one and parent two" erases essential roles.

The LGBT agenda first broke down the distinction between men and women — what each brings to society. This began earlier with feminism, aiming to remove these differences. It has progressed to a point where we’re seen as an androgynous society — just individuals. You don’t need to be a man or a woman; these roles and traditions that held the world together for millennia are being destroyed. Deep down, we know these truths are written on our hearts, as God said, but we’ve done everything to erase them. What does that do to a child? It destroys their formation, leaving them a lost soul — unsure of their responsibilities, how to act, think, or understand the world. They lose all of that, and then you become just a stupid society.

That’s the reality. In Russia, these values still remain. Here, people say what they think and mean, and accept realities as they are. There are different perspectives, but debate is still allowed. We can talk without being offended by differing opinions, and people use reason to explain their views.

We Americans were proud to have invented freedom of speech, thinking it means saying whatever you want. But that’s not my definition of freedom. Ironically, I believe there is more freedom of speech in Russia today than in America. We always condemned Russia by saying, "You can’t say what you want," but things are not so black and white.

I love that in Russia, my children can live a normal life in a normal society —where boys are boys and girls are girls, and that’s not up for debate. I have so much to teach them, and I can’t afford to be distracted by what the woke world considers important. I need to focus on their spirituality and how they can contribute to society.

You can't progress as a society when you're focused on these brain games. You can't move forward as a society. You're going to self-destruct.

I have friends and family still in America. You get used to your surroundings, but it’s stressful to try to uphold traditional values and pass them on to your children without them being corrupted by the world. Large families understand this well — I come from a town where most families had six, seven, eight, or nine children; one even had 18.

In Russia, I don’t feel that pressure. Of course, there are challenges, and I worry about each of my children and their futures. But for the first time in my life, society is not against me.

What do your children like most about Russia?

They really love being here. From my daughters' perspective, they love seeing the beautiful buildings, visiting museums, and experiencing the arts. They went to the Moskvarium. When we first came to Russia, you should have seen the lights in my daughters' eyes. They love the bells and the elevated architectural beauty. They get to see ancient traditions in a Christian country with a thousand years of history. They also love seeing the icons in the churches. We came here to live, integrate, and become Russians. There is a patriotic side to this as well.

The other day I took a video. I woke up in the morning, and since we have a two-story house with an opening, I can look down and see what the children are doing before they notice me.

I heard a familiar tune. My three-year-old, Jean-Jacques, was sitting by the fireplace, playing with his trains and humming his favorite song — the national anthem. I thought, "Wow, that's really cool." My children are becoming Russians already. My boys love the soldiers and the military. I took my son Jozef to the Victory Day Parade for the first time, and he was stunned.

I was also very grateful to visit Park Pobedy when we first arrived. The destroyed military equipment was on display, and I’ll never forget that moment  — it changed my son Joseph’s life forever. We were walking, and there were several Russian soldiers in full military gear, with helmets and rifles.

He was only three at the time. I pointed to a very tall Russian soldier and said, "Go shake his hand, Jozef." He ran over as fast as he could. The soldier was wearing gloves, but according to tradition here, he took his glove off and shook Joseph’s hand with his bare hand. That might not seem significant to a Russian, but it was very meaningful to us.

We don’t have such a tradition — removing a glove to shake hands as a sign of respect. Jozef was deeply impressed that the soldier took off his glove, shook his hand, and looked him in the eyes with respect. From that day on, he has been fascinated by soldiers, jets, and tanks.

He says, "I'm a soldier." Even when he misbehaves, I ask him, "Joseph, would a soldier do that?" He replies, "No, a soldier would never do that. I'm sorry, Papa, I won’t do it again." He feels very connected to this, and I am pleased to see my children understanding your traditions. It means a great deal to me.

You mentioned the importance of patriotism. What do you say to your family and friends in the United States when they ask you about the conflict in Ukraine?

The most important thing I can say is that many people I know understand the situation is much more complex. As for others, I can only say, as Christ did on the cross: "Forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they do."

They are inundated with information but lack the context to understand what is truly happening. As a result, they victimize a people. I think Russians can appreciate the sorrow for the Ukrainian people, as well as for their own who are dying in this civil war. But as Americans, we are disconnected, focused more on social media and virtue signaling.

It has become part of our culture to put a blue and yellow flag on our profiles and think we are doing something for Ukraine, without even getting out of bed. It’s very sad. There is a separation, but I believe more Americans are waking up every day, realizing they don’t understand what is happening and asking for help.

Others are listening to voices like Douglas MacGregor, Scott Ritter, or Rick Sanchez — Americans who are trying to share the truth about what is going on. That is what we are doing here in our studio with "Russia Up Close": as Americans living in Russia, understanding the reality on the ground, we want to share who Russians are, what Russia is, and what is actually happening.

This is why I started my channel, and why Eddie started his. We are here to share the truth. Opinions vary, but we are doing our best to show people what it is really like.

Have you traveled with your children in Russia?

We went to Kazan just two months after arriving. It’s a really cool city. I also took my family to Nizhny Novgorod, which is one of my favorite cities in Russia. I’ve traveled more than the rest of my family due to logistics, but I took my children to Sergiev Posad and recently to the Military Cathedral in Kubinka. We’ve also spent time in Moscow.

We’re familiar with the "two Russias" theory — Moscow versus the rest of Russia. There is some truth to it, but it’s good to get a bigger picture.

It’s like not flying to New York City and claiming you’ve seen America — especially as a Texan, I strongly disagree with that viewpoint. Russia has many diverse places. The most impressive thing to me is its vast size. We’re from Texas, and we say, "Everything’s bigger in Texas," but it feels funny to say that when you’re in such a massive country. Texas seems small in comparison.

What is the most important thing you realized for yourself when you came to Russia?

I gained a better understanding of friendship. Here, when someone says you are their friend, it means something deeper than just a smile or a handshake. It’s a genuine commitment — you have each other’s backs. America and Russia are both large countries, though Russia is much bigger.

Despite some similarities, one major difference is that America feels like a nation of diverse people brought together inorganically.

Russia is the complete opposite — it grew organically. Even with around 197 distinct cultures, you are all truly Russian.

This is still difficult for me to fully grasp, but it’s true. You work together, have real friendships, and are like one tribe. In America, we have smaller, loosely connected groups — a hundred years ago, there were Italian, Polish, and German communities, but now they have homogenized into a blend.

We can say we are Americans — we eat burgers and steaks, set off fireworks on the 4th of July, and put up Christmas trees. But that’s about all that unites us. In Russia, you have diverse traditions alongside collective ones — how you treat each other, help each other. It’s a true country and a true collective, and that is beautiful.