A resident of Novy Urengoy was fined for publishing a picture of Kolovrat.

Nikita Baryshnikov was found guilty under Part 1 of Art. 20.3 Code of Administrative Offences.

On January 16, 2023, the Novy Urengoy City Court of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District fined Nikita Baryshnikov one thousand rubles under Part 1 of Art. 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (public display of Nazi symbols) for publishing a photograph of Kolovrat on VKontakte.

The court explained that we are talking about the publication of “the ultra-right pseudo-Slavic solar image “Kolovrat”, which is a fact of public demonstration of symbols that can rightfully be interpreted as potentially nationalistic, and a reference to symbols allegedly used in ancient Slavic culture - which do not correspond to historical reality.” At the same time, the court found that the Kolovrat is a symbol confusingly similar to Nazi symbols. Baryshnikov said at the meeting that he did not pursue the goal of demonstrating nationalist symbols and believed that the Kolovrat belonged to Old Slavonic symbols.

The court rightly pointed out that the Kolovrat is a neo-pagan symbol, but it is widely used in different variations and differs significantly from the Nazi swastika. In addition, we believe that the display of Nazi symbols should be punished only in cases where it is used to promote the corresponding ideology. There is no information in the court ruling that Baryshnikov was involved in promoting violence, hatred and discrimination. Accordingly, we are inclined to consider his persecution unlawful.

Sources

• Administrative case card No. 5-39/2023 // Novy Urengoy City Court of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. 2023. March 29.