Eight days ago, our country came to be seen as absolute evil. For eight days, bombs and missiles have been falling on Ukrainian cities. Thousands of people are dying, and no one has even understood what for.
And all of this is because of one man. Putin is disgracing the Russian flag, the Russian language, and the very word Russia. In a matter of days, this mad dictator has thrown away all the achievements of Russian scientists, athletes, and artists. For many decades to come, we are being condemned to a sense of guilt. Because of Putin, for many people Russia now means War. But that is not true.
It was not Russia that attacked Ukraine, but Putin. For many years, he has intimidated, arrested, and killed Russians. He stole elections and billions. It was Putin who chose to bomb peaceful cities, kill children, and destroy lives. Russians were never asked whether they wanted this war. In the Russia we love and are proud of, millions of people are against this madness. And now their help is needed more than ever. Not only Ukraine, and not even Russia, but the whole world needs help—help in the fight against Putin and his war.
You may be afraid, but giving in to that fear means siding with fascists and murderers. Putin has already taken Russia’s economy, its relations with the world, and its hope for the future. That is far more frightening than a fine for attending a protest—which, moreover, others will help you pay. And bomb shelters and the front lines are far more terrifying than a few days in a special detention center. Do not give in to fear. Take to the streets. Let the whole world see that Putin is not Russia. Only this way can we restore our homeland’s honor. Only this way can each of us preserve our own dignity. So that we can say: in those darkest days, I remained human and did not stay silent.
You know, before protests people often ask, “So what will this protest change?” This protest will change us. This protest will change what you tell your children and grandchildren when they ask you about this terrible time. We must come out for our own sake.
And even if you have already left Russia because you could no longer accept the advance of military dictatorship, come out in the countries where you now live. Show the whole world that Russians do not want war. Gather in the squares of Berlin, New York, Amsterdam, or Melbourne—wherever you may be. Right now, all of us are responsible for Russia’s future, for what Russia will look like in the eyes of the whole world.
Every weekday at 7:00 p.m., but most importantly this Sunday, March 6, at 2:00 p.m., in the central squares of cities across Russia and around the world. Moscow — Manezhnaya Square. St. Petersburg — Gostiny Dvor. For dignity. Against Putin. For Russia. Against war.