Petersburg has seen a rise in resident complaints labeled as related to Ukraine, blue and yellow colors, and symbols that echo current events. Fontanka notes that police often handle reports about neighbors who supposedly originate from Ukraine, carry Ukrainian-registered cars, or display blue-and-yellow decorations, balloons, and other attention-grabbing features on a near daily basis.
One example highlighted by the publication involves a car owner in the city who faced police scrutiny for the second time that spring. The trigger was a sticker bearing the Ukrainian coat of arms affixed to the vehicle.
The car owner, identified as Vadim, is 52 years old and originally from the Khmelnitsky region of Ukraine. He has lived in St. Petersburg since 2000. In an interview with reporters, Vadim expressed a sense of calm about the heightened surveillance. He remarked that people are more vigilant nowadays and that such vigilance, while occasionally troubling, reflects a wakeful citizenry. He has kept the sticker on the car since 2000, explaining that a friend placed it in the trunk for him and that he has traveled with it for years. He noted that the sticker has frayed and faded but remains visible enough to provoke reaction in some onlookers. He added that the symbol is nearly invisible where the trident is depicted on the emblem, yet it still attracts attention. Fontanka confirms this account and notes that Vadim once sent an explanatory letter to the police; he stated that no one urged him to remove the sticker. Fontanka’s coverage continues to emphasize that officials did not press him to alter the insignia on the vehicle.
In a separate report, Fontanka also described a resident of a building on Irinovsky Prospekt who complained about a neighbor. The balcony in question was decorated with blue and yellow elements, and police investigations found balloons on the balcony. Following the officers’ visit, the occupants took down the decorative items. This incident, reported by Fontanka, reflects a broader pattern of attention to political color symbolism in public spaces.
Earlier reporting by the Telegram channel Baza mentioned an incident in Moscow involving arrests tied to clothing in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. The web channel’s coverage adds to a series of similar alerts circulating in media across the region, illustrating how color and symbolism related to Ukraine can become flashpoints in the urban environment. Baza’s account is part of the mosaic of stories that have fed into social discourse and local policing strategies during this period. Across these reports, authorities have underscored the importance of balancing public safety with individual expression, even as residents navigate a charged atmosphere. Fontanka’s compilation of these items highlights the varied ways in which color, symbols, and nationality cues interact with daily life in major Russian cities, and how residents respond to perceived provocations or misunderstandings within their neighborhoods.