4 Americans who recently became Russian citizens (PHOTO)

In the midst of anti-Russian hysteria and Russophobic sentiment in the West, there are few celebrities brave enough to stand up to the mainstream beliefs and experience Russia firsthand. Below is a list of those who are.

All of them have received their Russian citizenship within the last 5 years – a period which has been marked by the greatest US-Russia tension since the end of the Cold War.

Steven Seagal – an American actor, producer, screenwriter, director, martial artist, and musician.

Roy Jones – an American professional boxer, boxing commentator, boxing trainer, rapper, and actor.

Jeff Monson – an American mixed martial artist, a two-time winner of the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, and a No Gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu World Champion.

Vic Wild – an American snowboarder who won two gold medals at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, which made him the first snowboarder ever to win two medals at the same Winter Games.