Wives and mothers of men mobilized to the front in Ukraine demanded their husbands and sons go home in a demonstration they organized in Moscow on Saturday. In Russia, the business launch has already lasted 500 days.
Moscow
Ukrainian wives, mothers, and sisters of men mobilized for the war demonstrated on Saturday against the establishment of a movement in the heart of Moscow near the Kremlin.
Demonstrators brought red carnations to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is located in the Alexander Garden right next to the Kremlin wall. Many were dressed in a white scarf as a sign of participation in the demonstration.
Many other ways of expressing one's opinion are already criminalized in Russia. A passer-by might not even have realized that a demonstration was taking place. Peaceful demonstrators were surrounded by the Russian and international media instead of the police.
An estimated couple of hundred people took part in the demonstration, which is not much for a big city the size of Moscow. In today's conditions tightened by Russia's fear and pressure, organizing even a small demonstration is still significant.
The non-governmental organization OVD-info announced on Saturday afternoon that the police arrested 30 people at the demonstration, most of whom were journalists. HS was there for the first hour, when the demonstration seemed to go very peacefully.
At that time, there were no more police officers than usual on a Saturday.
An estimated couple of hundred people took part in the protest against the mobilization in Moscow on Saturday.
A demonstration was organized by the “Tie kotiin” movement, founded at the end of last autumn, whose active members are the wives and mothers of mobilized people living in different parts of Russia. The goal of the loose movement is to get the mobilized people home, and to unite women in the same situation.
The movement has already organized demonstrations on nine consecutive Saturdays in different parts of Russia. The protestors' symbol is a white scarf worn as a sign that the man is still alive.
The demonstration organized in Moscow in the afternoon was larger than usual, because it was a milestone day: 500 days had passed since the start of the “partial” movement in Russia.
Living in the Samara region Christina, 26, had traveled to Moscow to bring flowers to the memorial with a few other women. Her husband was mobilized to the front in September of the other year, and Kristina hasn't seen him like that.
According to Kristina, the man has served in the “hottest” places in the combat zone for over a year.
“I want my husband to return home and all the mobilized to return home. I think they have already fulfilled their duty to the country of their birth. The return would be fair for both them and us.”
Kristina said that her husband calls from the front relatively regularly.
The man doesn't tell much about his health, lest his spouse worry too much.
“You can hear from the voice that he is tired and would like to go home.”
Kristina's husband, who lives in the Samara region, was mobilized to the front in September of the other year. “Life has lost its meaning, all around is gray,” Kristina said.
Christina is left alone with a 3-year-old child. Before the war, a man trained as a mechanic worked as a foreman in a factory. According to Kristina, there was nothing missing from life then.
It's different now. Even the child has started to get sick more often since the father was taken to the front.
“Life has probably lost its meaning. All around is gray. Bright colors are missing. There are no more parties in our family. We only celebrate a child's birthday. I'm not really in the mood for anything else.”
Russia's war of aggression has continued for two years, and no president Vladimir Putin despite the citizens' demands, has not issued an order to stop the business proposal.
The demonstrators were careful to act within the limits allowed by Russian law. To the journalists, they formulated their words in such a way that they would not be guilty of, for example, “insulting the honor” of the army. Many refused to comment on the war itself.
Nina and Irina from Vladivostok demonstrated on behalf of their brother and son. “Before this, everything was fine with our family. On vacations, we toured all Asian countries: Thailand, China, Japan, Cambodia. Now we don't fly anywhere anymore, and I've gone completely gray in a year,” said Irina.
From Vladivostok Irina had arrived with his daughter Nina to demonstrate for his son, who was mobilized on September 29, 2022. Currently, the son is lying injured in rehabilitation.
Irina is not afraid of demonstrations.
“I was born and raised in this country. Why should I be afraid? We operate within the framework of the law, and that is what we want in response from our government as well.”
Irina had hoped that the boy would get home in a year to a year and a half. He recalls that the Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu too would have said something along those lines.
Irina has protested, pleaded and complained for her son, but so far to no avail.
How has the relationship with the government changed during this time?
“I don't know, I can't answer that. I haven't thought about that.”
He says that politicians should be able to negotiate and agree with each other. In Irina's opinion, dialogue between different countries is needed.
“There should be no war.”
Moscow resident Anna (right) took part in a protest against mobilization on Saturday, where protesters brought carnations to the grave of the unknown soldier. Many wore white.
To the demonstration there were also women and men from Moscow who wanted to come and show their support, even if they were not directly affected by the motion.
Muscovite Give it said he wanted to express his solidarity.
“I am convinced that the majority of people did not want this, but for the majority this is a nightmare. It has to be stopped somehow.”
According to the demonstrators, the Second World War memorial was chosen as the venue for the protest because they wanted to remind people that people die in large numbers even today.
The Russian-language service of the British broadcasting company BBC and the Russian opposition media Mediazona published on Friday its new figure for the number of Russians killed in Ukraine: 43,460.
The BBC and Mediazona base their information on open sources, so they estimate the number to be much higher in reality.
The non-governmental organization OVD-info announced on Saturday afternoon that the police arrested 30 people at the demonstration, most of whom were journalists.
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