Wearing green ribbons and price tags to protest war leaflets, and flashing Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,”
These are the things that can land ordinary Russians, who don’t support the Kremlin’s invasion in Ukraine, detained or fined and even jailed.
Media in Russia were warned not to call it a war, and new, draconian legislation was put in place to prevent anyone from “discrediting the Russian army.” This can lead to up to 15 years imprisonment.
The few Russians that dare to speak out against the war are now able to escape arrest by being inventive. It’s not guaranteed, however.
Alexandra Skochilenko (an artist and musician from St. Petersburg) has been held in detention for almost two months since she replaced several price tags at a local grocery with small pieces paper that contained messages about the Russian army’s actions in Ukraine.
One said: “The Russian army attacked a Mariupol art school. It was home to about 400 people who hid from the shelling. Another stated: “The Russian army bombed an art school in Mariupol.” Another added, “Putin lies to us every 20 years from TV screens. This lies has led to our willingness and acceptance of war and the deaths of innocent people.
Yana Nepovinnova (Skochilenko’s lawyer) told NBC News that Skochilenko was protested by a customer who filed a complaint.
Nepovinnova stated that Skochilenko, 31 years old, is currently facing criminal charges for spreading “deliberately false” information about the Russian army. She could spend up to 10 year in prison. According to her lawyer, Skochilenko admitted that she swapped the price tags but denies that she was spreading false info. Her detention was extended to at least July 1.
“I feel like someone came in our home and took my family,” Sofia Subbotina (Skochilenko’s partner) said over the phone from St. Petersburg sounding dejected. “Ten years is an inhumane sentence. They send people to prison for less than murder.
Nepovinnova stated that she is afraid Skochilenko’s story will be used as a way to send a clear message to anyone who dares to speak out about the possibility of facing the same fate.
Nepovinnova stated that “She is essentially behind bars because of her words.”
Political protest in Russia has been almost eradicated over the past decade of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s crackdown against dissent. Nevertheless, thousands of Russians marched to protest the war in the initial days. This has been mostly relegated to the background of police violence, mass arrests, and Kremlin propaganda that most Russians support Moscow’s “special military operations” in Ukraine. The one-person protests in all forms continue to convey one message: There are Russians who don’t agree with the war.
Artur Dmitriev of St. Petersburg said that he was also detained for holding up a sign saying: “The war brought so much pain that it is impossible not to forget.” For those who make new aggressive plans, there is no forgiveness.
This anti-war message was actually a shortened direct quote from a speech Putin made last year, on the day Russia celebrated victory over Nazi Germany.
The authorities did not notice.
Dmitriev (43), spent 24 hours in detention and claimed that he was given a court hearing. According to court papers he presented to NBC News under newly enacted legislation, he was found guilty of “discrediting Russian armed force.” Dmitriev claimed he was given a fine of 30,000 rubles or $520.
Dmitriev, holding his court papers in Zoom video, said that his guilty verdict proved the absurdity and injustice of the system that imprisoned and fined Putin for his words.
Dmitriev claimed that he sent a snarky message to the press office asking for a split of the fine because they were “accomplices.”
He acknowledged that he was scared throughout the whole ordeal, and more so now that law enforcement is on his radar. He said that it was important to speak out.
“It is obvious where we are heading. Dmitriev stated that it was Orwellian. You are only making things worse if you stand aside. If you do this, it is letting people know they are not the only ones.”
Mikhail Podivilov is passionate about making sure that others are not isolated.
The IT specialist stood at the Moscow metro station in March with his card over his head, hoping that others would notice.
His card contained the Russian word for “Mir” or “peace”. (“Mir”) is the Russian name for a payment system that Russian banks use, and many bank cards have it prominently.
Within five minutes, he was being interrogated by police, Podivilov (22), said.
Podivilov, who was speaking to NBC News via Zoom in his suburban town of Ozyory, in the Moscow region, said that the officers tried to force him to move for almost an hour. Podivilov stated that he refused to move and remained there, holding his card high above his head. It was a cold Moscow evening. They let him go in the end.
Podivilov stated that he was shocked to walk away. He said that he doesn’t have a moral right not to be afraid, even though he was afraid of being arrested.
“In Ukraine that’s where people could be afraid,” Podivilov said, without hesitation. “I will be imprisoned. That’s the maximum thing that could happen to me.”
OVD-Info is an independent Russian organization that monitors political persecution and freedom to assembly violations. It has a long list of names and actions of Russians who stood up against war.
According to the company, 16,000 people were detained in protest of war crimes as of June 1. According to the report, nearly 2400 cases are pending for “discrediting” Russian Armed Forces under the new legislation. It also stated that at least 170 people facing criminal charges in relation to their opposition to the war were being investigated.
Eugene, an artist and activist, stated that he was not comfortable revealing his last name for millions of people who are silent.
Eugene, 31 offers an anonymous opportunity for those who wish to speak out against the war.
He has been operating an Instagram account called Malenkiy Piket (or Little Protest in Russian) since March 20. It is a safe place where people can upload photos of small figurines made of plasticine and Legos that are holding peace messages. The figurines can be discreetly placed in people’s cities or at their homes if they feel too dangerous.
The account’s feed features colorful photos of figurines in Ukraine, often in blue-and yellow colors. They are placed against monuments, benches and people’s kitchen tables with signs that read, “No to War,” “Ukrainians Forgive Us,” and “Why?” This is a great example of the freedom of expression Russia affords.
Eugene said that it allowed ordinary Russians, who have lost their ability to think politically over the past decades under Putin, “exercise [their] political bodies.” He spoke via Zoom from his St. Petersburg apartment, which is dimly lit. Malenkiy Picket serves as a training ground to learn how to speak up when fear is all around, he said.
Eugene stated that he realizes he is putting his freedom at risk by creating an account that allows people to speak out, even if in the most private of ways.
He said, “Some days I am scared; other days, I’m not.”
He said that he knew the risks and made sure Malenkiy piket would continue running and posting even if he was arrested. Although he feels that Russia is about to become worse, he does not intend to stop fighting for freedom and the end of war.
