In north Russian towns, silent manifestations of support for Ukraine
One year after the start of the onslaught, flowers in blue and yellow colours appear in downtown Petrozavodsk and Murmansk.
At the same time as pro-war concerts and gatherings were organised by the authorities across Russia, anti-war activists put blue and yellow flowers and ribbons on war memorial sites in the two north Russian cities.
In Petrozavodsk, the regional capital of Karelia, the anti-war manifestation could be seen at Victory Boulevard, by two 2WW memorial plates devoted to Kyiv and Odesa, Telegram channel From Karelia with Freedom informs.
In Murmansk, flowers and ribbons were placed by the Memorial to victims of the intervention, Vesna reports.
Similar manifestations of support for Ukraine were made also in Moscow, St.Petersburg and several more places.
On the 24th of February, it is one year since Russian forces started their massive attack on Ukraine. This then, thousands have been killed in a brutal war not seen in Europe since the Second World War.
On the 22nd of February, the Kremlin organised a concert in downtown sport stadium Luzhniki devoted to the “protectors of the motherland.” Also in Murmansk and other Russian cities and town patriotic events were held that same day.
The anti-war manifestations were clearly not liked by all locals. In Petrozavodsk, someone had stepped on the Ukrainian-coloured flowers, From Karelia with Freedom writes.
This story is based on an article published in the Russian version of the Barents Observer
