WITH Gleb Pushev It is difficult for him to survive. With Russia’s war in Ukrainethis young Russian comic artist and writer escaped from St. Petersburg and finally Serbia. He was afraid for his life and didn’t want to join the military, but at the same time I was looking for a space for expression. Belgrade was his bet and his hope. Participated in various events in the capital of Serbia anti-war protests This event, organized by the local opposition community, also painted a mural on a street of the city in honor of Lesya Ukrainka, one of the most famous writers of Ukrainian literature. They inaugurated it with a public event, but shortly afterwards unidentified assailants vandalized it with black paint and the letter Z, one of the symbols of support for the Russian occupation. He repainted it together with his partner Anya. They destroyed it again.
“We tried to build an anti-war Russian movement in Serbia, but many difficultiesPushev, 25, says: “It’s very sad. We were attacked by groups. far right and we feel it too government pressures Serbian. “I’m scared too because I’m a foreigner, I have no money, and in the second year of the war the situation here got worse,” he adds.
Serbia Receipt hundreds of thousands of immigrants During Russia’s almost two-year conflict in Ukraine (some estimates mention around 200,000 people). In interviews for this report, this journalist spoke to a variety of people. students, artists and small businessmen They settled in the country they said they were Critics of the Kremlin and until recently they did not express their views (or did so only moderately). With the start of last year’s invasion, they all decided to leave Russia. They were no longer willing to continue living with the hardships and lack of freedom of expression in their country.
call from moscow
absence of visa For entry of Russian citizens inside Serbia This was one of the reasons mass migration. However, after an initial period during which Belgrade tolerated their activities (the country had an ambiguous relationship with Moscow), some prominent community activists received various penalties. court decisions with which They were asked to leave the country on the grounds that it was a threat to “national security”. “It is an accusation that the Serbian authorities are not explaining at the moment, they are not telling us what we are doing. Even so, one of the people who received these orders had to go to Montenegro, the other, my colleague Vladimir Volokhonsky, is in Montenegro. Germany. …because of course Russia’ Either they can’t return,” says local activist Peter Nikitin.
Nikitin, who holds a dual passport (he is also a Dutch citizen), has lived in Serbia since 2016 and has a valid residence permit (his wife and children are Serbian), also received one of them. deportation orders. They even detained him at Belgrade airport for several days last July, until, given the resulting controversy and pressure from different organizations (his case was covered in various English-speaking media), they eventually let him go and he was able to enter the country. . He’s now part of the legal team Ha appealed to Serbian authoritiesFor the defense of those subjected to measures.
“I’m pretty sure they got it A call from Moscow. ‘I don’t like these anti-war activists at all,’ someone told them. So we got a very clear signal that we are not welcome here. [en Serbia] And if we want to stay, we must be quiet“But we appealed and now we are waiting for the courts to respond,” adds this activist, noting that all this happened after the organization was founded. Russian Democratic Community (SDS) at the end of last year. A group intended to act as a kind of container for flooding Russian dissident community in the country and give it a shout.
Therefore, initially the opposition was organized under this umbrella. anti-war protests In Ukraine, on Republic Square in the center of Belgrade and in front of the Russian embassy. Today it is a partially inanimate project. “Unfortunately, they didn’t even prevent us from opening a bank account, so the SDS project is losing its strength“Admits Nikitin.
Unprotected
Aleksei Novikov, who came to Belgrade in March 2022 and today runs a small bar in the city center, is one of those who faced difficulties. account you received anonymous threats “Who called him?”traitor” For opposing the war that Vladimir Putin started in Ukraine. “I think one of the problems is that most of us here are not well-known opponents. really? ordinary peopleThose who cannot buy a mansion in Italy or Spain or move to these countries. We do not have enough moneyBut maybe we would be more protected there,” he claims.
Despite this, Novikov says he no longer plans to hide (unlike others who refuse to speak openly about their activism out of fear). “For me no return. The world needs to know this There are people with Russian passports well against war [en Ucrania]. And I hope that in the future we can also contribute to the rebuilding of relations with Russia,” says the 43-year-old Russian.
Nikitin, who is more protected due to his situation, also agrees. “Inside European Union NO There are enough protection mechanisms for the new activists who began to raise their voices after the occupation. “It is almost impossible to get a visa,” the activist accuses, adding that although he wants to “return to normal” soon, he has not yet completely given up on his activism. So much so that he even started a signature campaign regarding the accusation. org calling for “an end” persecution of activists He addresses “Russian anti-war activists” in Serbia and directly to Serbian president Aleksandar Vucić. Thus, it has already collected 4,500 signatures. It looks like there are still a small number of signatures. The Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs did not respond to a request for a written statement on this matter. middle.