84-Year-Old Leningrad Siege Survivor Fined for Protesting Against War in Ukraine

Lyudmila Vasilyeva, an 84-year-old survivor of the Leningrad Siege, has been fined 10,000 rubles for protesting the war in Ukraine. Known for her activism against military actions in Russia, she conveyed her message of peace through a handwritten poster and received support from numerous onlookers during her court appearance.

Russian activist Lyudmila Vasilyeva, now 84 years old and a veteran of the Leningrad Siege during World War II, has been fined for openly protesting against Russia’s ongoing military actions in Ukraine. The St Petersburg court ordered her to pay a fine of 10,000 rubles (approximately $126; £93) for "discrediting" the Russian armed forces during a hearing on Friday. The charges stemmed from a poster she displayed earlier this year that stated: "People, let's stop the war. We are responsible for peace on the planet Earth. With love, Lyudmila Vasilyeva, child of the Leningrad blockade."

Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, authorities have increased their crackdown on dissent regarding military operations. In an interview with AFP prior to her court appearance, Vasilyeva expressed a deep sense of "bitterness" and "hurt" about her country’s current state. She reflected on a lifelong commitment to supporting those in need, saying, "I have always been someone who is not indifferent, from childhood. I have always been on the side of the weak."

Vasilyeva received a warm welcome from supporters outside the courtroom, where she was seen holding flowers and was celebrated by applause. Her personal history of surviving the 872-day Siege of Leningrad, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 800,000 residents due to starvation, cold, and military bombardment, adds a poignant layer to her anti-war stance. "We will get through everything, as long as there is no war," she recounted her mother’s words from her childhood.

Despite being a vocal critic of the war, Vasilyeva has faced multiple detentions in 2022 and previously attempted to run for the governor of St Petersburg. The legislation under which she was fined has been broadly applied, encompassing varied expressions of dissent against the army, including simple anti-war slogans or symbolic gestures. With the conflict in Ukraine ongoing for over three years, casualty estimates for Russian soldiers have soared, indicating substantial losses within the military ranks.