Evgeny explores and studies the issues suffered by the LGBT population in Russia, as well as the state of living conditions in Ireland's direct provision system for refugees and his personal experience there.
When Evgeny was a teenager, many young Russian-language speaking school graduates chose to travel from Kazakhstan to Russia for academic purposes.
[3] Shtorn was a regular at popular gay nightclubs and engaged in other activities within the community where he is said to have realized that this was "my culture," "my music," "my style," and "this is where I feel comfortable.
"[3] Despite this experience, Russia did eventually explain to Shtorn that he had options for citizenship application: he can stay in the country on a residency permit and apply for a passport in 5 years; he cannot break any laws and he has to work.
[3] Things began to take a turn for the worst when Shtorn received a call from the Russian migration service informing him that there was a problem with his application and he must come into their offices to discuss it.
Evgeny is reported saying he was kept by the FSB agent for 2 hours, they discussed his masters thesis and his studies in the LGBT field; the murder of gay men and the work of the Centre for Independent Social Research.
"[7] In 2013 Vladimir Putin and the federal parliament pass a ban on what can be described as propaganda of homosexuality or non-traditional sexual relations.
The Russian gay propaganda law claims that it operates "for the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating for a Denial of Traditional Family Values."
This law has been dangerous for many members of the LGBT community in Russia: hate crimes increased, according to Evgeny Shtorn's research[8] and other sources.
The Russian foreign agents law requires N.G.O's that receive foreign funding to submit to specific reporting requirements, this set limitations to the research occurring at Centre for Independent Social Research where Evgeny work when the centre ends up on a list for government surveillance.
This means that Evgeny who is working at a foreign funded N.G.O centre, living as a stateless person studying LGBT issues is then faced with great difficulty after applying for his Russian passport after the 5-year wait on residency permit.
Many of his works are in Russian and describe the horrors, the discomforts and the extreme loneliness felt living under direct provision conditions, and experiencing the general plight and frustration of statelessness and oppression.
"[10] In addition to his creative works, Evgeny has completed his master's degree in contemporary social analysis at Higher School of Economics studying the hate crimes against LGBT members, and murders of gay men.
"[3] Evgeny's finding was in direct contradiction to the governments message which essentially highlights that one can practice and engage in whatever they want in the privacy of their own home - as long as it does not corrupt the children via public display.
[3] Prior to Evgeny's completion of his masters thesis, he received a diploma from the New Economic School in development of endowments.
He has completed volunteer work as a researcher for the National Agency of Collaborative Arts (CREATE) In Dublin from February 2019 to present day, as well as offered his services in a part-time position as a project coordinator at the National Gallery of Ireland from May 2019 to present day, working on a community project "Something from There" with people seeking asylum.
While Evgeny Shtorn was living in St.Petersburg, he met his current partner Alexander Kondakov; a PHD scholar in sociology and LGBT activist as well.
Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen states in a New Yorker interview she did with Alexander and Evgeny that "if they were a straight couple, who had been together for 15 years, they would probably be married and there probably wouldn't be a question of whether they are seeking asylum together."
"[3] Evgeny is currently taking a course at the University of Galway, he spends his days studying in the library, researching for his two creative positions and his managerial duties for the Queer Diaspora.