Soviet revenge

Article by Alexander Podrabinek

was met with a storm of indignant responses, and soon calls for revenge began to be heard. The famous “Nashi” movement, favored by the authorities, promised to do everything so that Podrabinek’s life “is divided into two stages - before and after this article.” “We demand a public apology from Podrabinek and are going to achieve an understanding on his part that there are things that we will not give him, especially such a shrine as our Victory,” Nashi say, although without specifying how they are going to achieve understanding and by what right they appropriated this victory to themselves.

One of the leaders of Nashi, Boris Yakemenko, actually gave legitimacy to attacks on Podrabinek on the Internet in a blog post: “Judging by the reaction on the Internet, there are many people who are ready to make Podrabinek’s whole life turn into a nightmare. And this is good. So he couldn't walk down the street without being spat on. This is a start."

Yakemenko offers several options for the development of events. In addition to lawsuits from veterans, he is considering the possibility that “any honest person, passing by Podrabinek,” would tell him everything he thinks, and then “Podrabinek will first stop leaving the house, and then go away to where he feels good.” Finally, Yakemenko calls for “Podrabinek to be forced to undergo a psychiatric examination and walk the streets with a certificate stating that he is insane.” (You could also suggest walking with a yellow star.)

It is reported that on September 24, certain people who introduced themselves as members of the movement broke into the office of Novaya Gazeta, where Podrabinek is published, and demanded his phone number. The newspaper's editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov refused to share his coordinates with them. Podrabinek received calls and text messages with threats, and, as his wife says, “couriers” are trying to get into his apartment, allegedly with important documents. Some people call neighbors and ask about the family. There were attempts to hack the email of Podrabinek’s wife.

Still, it is doubtful that the people who are threatening Podrabinek are also planning to carry out “DDoS attacks, flooding and trolling on the forum, sabotaging the work of the editorial office” of the Daily Journal, “hacker attacks on the website, attacks on editorial staff, and damage to their cars.” and other property” (such calls are heard on the Internet), is driven by the memory of deceased grandfathers or great-grandfathers. If this is a defense, then it is a defense of the same Soviet power, which, it seems, has not gone away, and if it does not officially approve of such antics against those who think “wrong”, it certainly does not object to them.