In Efremov, a small Russian town located 300 kilometers from Moscow, the inhabitants are upset by the trial of a father, separated from his daughter because of a drawing denouncing the offensive in Ukraine, a subject which remains taboo here as elsewhere.
“For a world without Nazism”: gigantic posters with the letters “Z” and “V”, symbols of the Russian “special operation” in Ukraine, cover dilapidated buildings on the central street of this small town of 37,000 inhabitants, in the Tula region.
It is here that a case is being played out that has shocked Russian society, a symbol of the repression of any criticism of the Russian offensive in Ukraine launched more than a year ago.
A 13-year-old resident of Efremov, Maria Moskaliova, drew a picture in middle school: Missiles are heading towards a woman and a child with a Ukrainian flag. A “crime” immediately reported to the director who contacted the police.
After the scandal with the drawing, the police inspected the profile of his father, Alexei Moskaliov, 54, and discovered comments criticizing the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
He is to be tried on Monday for “discrediting the Russian armed forces”, an offense for which he faces three years in prison. He also risks being deprived of parental authority during another trial on April 6, according to his lawyer Vladimir Bilenko.
Since March 1, Alexei has been under house arrest. His daughter Maria, whom he is raising alone, was placed in a home and deprived of telephone communication with her father, said a local independent deputy, Olga Podolskaïa.
At first sight peaceful, Efremov was deeply shaken by this story, which was also mentioned in the opposition media, resulting in a petition demanding the return of the child to his father.
She even went up to the boss of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, Evguéni Prigojine, whose men are fighting in Ukraine, who gave his support to Maria, criticizing the local authorities for having sent the young girl to the orphanage.
In the sunny streets of Efremov, few residents are willing to talk openly about the case.
“Separating the father and the daughter is horrible. She only expressed her point of view”, protests Alexandra, a student.
If they are not ready to protest publicly or talk about the offensive in Ukraine, a taboo subject in this city where everyone knows each other, the locals admit to discussing it quietly.
A retiree who declined to be named says her life changed after February 24, 2022, when Russian troops entered Ukraine.
“The only thing that worries me now is military news. I’m not accusing anyone. I see all these victims on both sides. I want it to end as soon as possible,” she said.
At the Efremov cemetery, several graves contain the remains of soldiers killed in the “special operation” in Ukraine. In March, the echo of the offensive resounded in the region: three drones supposedly belonging to Ukraine fell there, without causing any casualties.
On the central square of the city, two elderly women, red bands on their arms, watch the surroundings, seated on a bench.
“We have been warned that there is a risk of an attack and we must maintain order,” they explain. This “popular guard” is an initiative of the inhabitants.
“We are for peace,” said Alexander Salikhov, a 66-year-old retired engineer. “But we must liberate Russian lands” which, according to him, extend over the whole of Ukraine.
Dmitri, a 50-year-old businessman, says he went bankrupt because of Western sanctions that broke supply chains: “What does the future hold for us? The power is in the hands of the special services. And we are on the threshold of a nuclear war”.
Olga Podolskaïa, she reveals that people’s opinion is divided in Efremov, as in the rest of the country.
“They’re depressed, they don’t understand what’s going on. But they can’t go out in the street (to protest). They’re afraid of being fired, they have loans and children,” she explains.
Marianna, a 31-year-old pregnant woman, is more optimistic, although she is very worried about her husband who is at risk of mobilization.
“We hope it will end and that our son will be born in a peaceful world and will not have to fear military actions,” she said, saying she wanted to call her son Bogdan, a popular name in Ukraine.
03/27/2023 21:26:57 – Efremov (Russie) (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
