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STORY: Like so many fans across the globe, IT student Artem was determined to see Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.

"When this news came out, I decided - I don't know how, but I really, really want to go."

But while eye-popping ticket prices became the norm for Swifties desperate to attend her concerts, here in Moscow, the 22-year-old faced other challenges in his quest to catch the superstar on tour.

Many Western performers have shunned Russia since 2022, when it sent its army into Ukraine.

And now outward travel to the West is fraught with complications.

Artem applied - six months ahead - for an Italian visa.

"I chose Italy because at that point it was issuing visas to ordinary tourists easier than other countries. I knew that visa needed to be done 6 months in advance, so got down to it in February via an agency. I just gave them all the documents and got my visa."

He is one of the Russian Swifties who, undeterred by the extra hurdles, embarked on daunting odysseys this summer - requiring visa appointments and clever flight combinations - to watch the sold-out tour.

His friend Elizaveta flew via a third country to Greece, then on to Germany.

"We dealt with the ways and we got there individually. Lisa has an opportunity to get a Greek visa, so she commuted via Greece with her family. I did not have this opportunity, so made a decision on which country I want to go to and which visa was easier to get."

The students, who set up a fan group three years ago, have learned to adapt to the shifts in geopolitics.

Elizaveta's Apple Music account is registered in Turkey.

While Artem and others use "workarounds" to listen to music on Spotify, which stopped streaming in Russia after the full-scale war began.

Apple paused product sales the same year.

Despite the difficulties, Dmitry says Swifties around the world are just a click away.