Leningrad Siege Survivor Fined Over Anti-War Protest
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Leningrad Siege Survivor Fined Over Anti-War Protest
Lyudmila Vasilyeva, 84, held a rare solo demonstration in February to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. She unsuccessfully ran for the office of St. Petersburg governor last fall.
Vasilyeva, 84, held a rare solo demonstration in February to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. She stood outside the historic Gostiny Dvor shopping center with a sign reading: “People, let’s stop the war! We’re responsible for peace on planet Earth.”
She reportedly protested for around an hour despite multiple police attempts to detain her.
Roughly 50 people came to support Vasilyeva during Friday’s court hearing in St. Petersburg, though only two were allowed inside the courtroom, according to the exiled news outlet Govorit NeMoskva.
Vasilyeva was briefly detained at least three times for protesting in 2022, shortly after the start of the full-scale invasion. She unsuccessfully ran for the office of St. Petersburg governor last fall.
Siege of Leningrad survivor fined for solo anti-war protest as dozens turn up in court to show support — Novaya Gazeta Europe
A court in St. Petersburg has fined an octogenarian who survived the 900-day Nazi siege of Leningrad as a child 10,000 rubles (€111) for a solo protest. Lyudmila Vasilyeva, 84, was detained in February for a one-woman protest marking the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Standing outside the Gostiny Dvor shopping centre in the city centre, she held a small placard reading: “People, let’s stop the war!”
Lyudmila Vasilyeva, 84, was detained in St. Petersburg in February for a one-woman protest marking the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Standing outside the Gostiny Dvor shopping centre in the city centre, she held a small placard reading: “People, let’s stop the war! We are responsible for peace on planet Earth. With love, Lyudmila Vasilyeva, child of the Leningrad siege.”
Dozens of people came to support Vasilyeva during her hearing on Friday, though only two were allowed into the courtroom. During the wait for her verdict, people read poems to each other while huddled in a stairwell, according to those in attendance.
“We all still have to try to live and see the beautiful Russia of the future,” Vasilyeva told reporters after the hearing, as the crowd chanted “Thank you!”
A staunch critic of Vladimir Putin, Vasilyeva is a veteran of the St. Petersburg protest movement and was detained at several anti-war rallies in the city in 2022. Last year, Vasilyeva sought to become the city’s governor, though she was forced to drop out of the race in July after failing to collect the petition signatures needed to register her candidacy.
“As long as there is no peace, nothing good will happen either in Russia or in St. Petersburg,” Vasilyeva said at the time, pledging she would “continue to fight”.
Speaking ahead of her hearing to French public news broadcaster France 24 on Thursday, Vasilyeva stressed that she was unphased by the prospect of being convicted: “I’m 84 years old. I’m not afraid”.