For many gays in Novosibirsk, the new feeling of openness, however limited, has allowed them to come out to co-workers, fellow students, straight friends, and family.
In Grisha's case, his colleagues at the pharmaceuticals company where he works do not know he is gay, but "it's not that I'm afraid of their reactions," he says. "It's because it is none of their business who I live with and what kind of life I lead."