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In Moscow, these members of “The Way Home” movement have been defying the authorities every weekend for several weeks without ever crossing the borders.
Published on January 29, 2024 08:52
Reading time: 2 minutes
A cruise ship passes the Kremlin in downtown Moscow on January 3, 2024. (VERA SAVINA / AFP)
This is an extremely rare form of protest in Russia. Despite the repression, despite increasingly harsh prison sentences for opponents and those who dare to challenge the Kremlin's policies, wives of mobilized soldiers dare to take to the streets to publicly demand their return.
This weekend, as has been the case for several weeks, around fifteen people came to lay roses at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the foot of the Kremlin walls. Among them is Ksenia, whose husband is celebrating her birthday for the second time at the front: “I am here for the second time, I have overcome my fear. We want to show that we exist, we, the women of the mobilized.” Nobody does not pay attention to us… We want our mobilized men to be returned to us, according to the words of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who stated that the mobilized men would be replaced by professional soldiers. My husband is very tired, he is now 28 years old and really wants to return to civilian life,” she explains.
The women of the Pout Domoï movement, the “Way Home,” are careful not to say that they are against the special action that could land them in prison. They are simply saying that their mobilized men should be replaced by others, which is already an extremely rare act of protest in 2024 Russia.
The Kremlin allows it
An operation under strict observation: the industry is full of security officers in plain clothes. But also pro-power activists. This woman comes to challenge the soldiers' wives: “You are dividing society while our soldiers are giving their lives,” she tells them. The soldiers' wives are moving away; they are used to it.
Maria Andreeva, one of the movement's leaders, has already received a visit from security forces. “They came to me on January 19th. They wanted our campaign to be canceled. I told them it would happen and that was it. “They didn’t really scare me,” she explains.
“What would really scare me is being alone with my conscience and realizing that I didn't do what I should have done.”
Maria Andreeva
at franceinfo
In the midst of the presidential election campaign, this movement, which is gaining some traction on social networks, is embarrassing those in power. The Kremlin lets it happen. For the moment.