"For our and your children"

There is no doubt that the promotion of the Solovetsky stone on Lubyanka, which has been organized by the Memorial on October 29 for more than ten years, on the eve of the day of memory of the victims of political repression, this year a huge number of people will come. Counting the names of the victims under the windows of the heirs of the executioners in a particular day in a particular place for so many is not only symbolic significance. This is in a certain sense an act of individual protest against “lead aboats” and modern Russia. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that the authorities made an attempt to bury the already established tradition. The approval already provided by the Memorial was withdrawn under the pretext of the impossibility of ensuring the safety of citizens on Lubyanskaya Square due to construction work. The action was proposed to transfer to Sakharov Avenue. However, this attempt to sabotage failed - the public was outraged, the pressure on the power from even official human rights structures turned out to be very significant. But the main thing is that the “Memorial” rejected the city hall’s proposal to move the event to Sakharov Avenue, and thousands of people on social networks confirmed their undoubted readiness on October 29 to enter Lubyanskaya Square. As a result, the Kremlin decided not to go to the escalation, retreat, and the security forces, as they say, were wiped. I do not want to rush with loud phrases about the “victory of civil society”, but I am firmly convinced that such a result of this next confrontation inspired and delighted many. The action in memory of the victims of political repression and this year will take place at the indicated time in the place. But the reason why the authorities were tried to ban the action of the Solovetsky stone, lies not only in the general submission of the current Russian rulers that the “territory of freedom” should be constantly cut here.

A few weeks ago, a group of parents of young people accused of criminal offenses related to extremism and even terrorism (we are talking about the new Greatness and “Network” organizations) stated the desire to hold a mass action in defense of the young generation in the capital. Let me remind you in a nutshell that these deeds are obviously falsified from the first word to the last, youth political circles (in fact, discussion clubs) were created by implemented provocateurs from the FSB, and the confessions received during the preliminary investigation were obtained under torture. Later, the defendants abandoned them without exception. As a result, the “parent network” - as the group of parents of children who were victims of the provocation of the security forces, has now called a request to the metropolitan city hall, in which she expressed a desire to hold a march in the capital on October 28. Moreover, the general opinion about the route is the following - we are protesting against the arbitrariness of the FSB, we must go under the windows of the FSB. That is, according to Lubyanka. I attended one of their meetings and should tell you that these people are very decisively configured. Here is an excerpt from their appeal to the Russian public: “We call people of all ages - both children and parents - to speak with us in defense of the new generation. If we do not protect those who replace us, then our country will no longer have the future. ” The name of the action speaks for itself - "for our and your children." Of course, the Moscow City Hall refused it. I think the initial difficulties with the coordination of the Memorial campaign on October 29 were partly associated with fears that these two events would merge into one protest campaign. The Parental Network will announce its specific plans on October 28 in the near future.

This is undoubtedly a good and important thing to recall the victims of the Stalinist repressions, and I am happy that society managed to defend this right so far. But for Putin Russia, political repression is not only a historical tragedy. These are the realities of our modern public life. And, if we honor the memory of those who died in the Stalinist camps, then our direct duty to compete for the fate of those who in the near future may be in Putin. Or is already there. Therefore, it seems extremely important to me to support the action "For our and your children."


Photo: Archive Hedgehog