Belgorodians tell how they went to the polls under shelling

And doubt the honesty of votes count

Three days of voting in the Belgorod region were held under massive shelling. In the region, fighting Ukrainian formations of RDK, Legion “Freedom of Russia” and “Siberian Legion” in which the Russians are fighting - they tried to interfere with the election. The authorities of the region pretended that shelling did not affect people's desire to vote. The turnout on the first day of voting allegedly amounted to 67%, and according to the results of the weekend, it even reached 87%, or about 780 thousand voters, of which 91%cast their vote for Putin. Neither fear, nor explosions, nor six killed as a result of shelling allegedly “hesitated” the desire of citizens to come to the sites. Locals told the Cold, as it really was.

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For the safety of the heroes, the "cold" changed their names.

"Why can't no one protect us?"

Maria, designer

I moved to Belgorod 10 years ago and immediately began to build my house, where I live now. Although I or the people whom I personally know until they suffered from the shelling of the city, I am still very scared when the explosions are heard, and they are heard every day. Every time I tremble, go down to the first floor and wait in a remote place where there are no windows. We have windows and doors, all this is very loud.

If I trusted the government, I would feel more security. But I do not trust - I am angry and feel fear. Recently, we have learned how to give a missile hazard of seconds 10 before the explosion, but before the signals were far from always. Basically, I am guided by the sounds of flying missiles: I have already learned to distinguish in these two years whether I should be afraid or not. Due to the fear of missing the moment of arrival, I constantly on guard, stopped sleeping with the bers. A dog who barks helps when he hears loud sounds: you can’t miss this.

On Friday was a regular working day. The Belarusian Complex of the Belgorod Region said that the appearance in the elections on the first day amounted to 67%, but I do not know people who voted on Friday, but I do not have many friends. My environment is mainly in apathy. As far as I know, they did not vote at all, so they are not very believed in such a high turnout.

My husband and I voted on Sunday at 12 o’clock, and there were quite a few people on our site at this time. But I do not know if they participated in the action "Half and Against Putin" or just came to vote. We put the ticks not for Putin.

I don’t think that after these elections, something will change for the better. For me, participation in the vote was an attempt to calm my conscience a little, because I can’t do anything else.

Residents of the Belgorod region no longer know how to achieve them to be heard in other regions of Russia. The other day, they launched a new action: on the pages of Channel One on VKontakte, tens and hundreds of comments with the hashtag #Belgorodomators began to leave. Soon, Channel One closed the opportunity to comment on their news in general. Ignor worries everyone, I hear these conversations from everywhere, even from a nurse in the hospital. Everyone says: "Why can't no one protect us?"

In the first months of the war, a lot of people left their anti -war messages under posts on social networks of Belgorod and Governor Gladkov. At first, such commentators were blocked - I know that because I was blocked very quickly. And then they completely abolished the opportunity to leave any messages, as the Channel One now did.

From time to time, I meet in social networks questions that Belgorodians ask: they say, why are we not leaving where it is safe. Probably, people who ask such questions do not understand us at all. Here is my house, which I built for 10 years: it is made to my taste, according to my sketches, I can not sell it and buy exactly the same in another place. I love this place, I love everything that I did in my home with my own hands, everything that I did on my site.

Under shelling, but in my house it is much easier for me to be morally than in a foreign place, which will not be the same as I want.

"There are no two deaths, but do not avoid one."

Sergey, pre -retirement

I was born and lived all my life in Belgorod. My cousin died during the Belgorod missile shelling on December 30, 2023. They, along with a friend and grandson, walked in the central square, where there was a Christmas tree. During the shelling, a sister and a friend closed the grandson with a friend: he survived, and they died in place. The sister was 66 years old, she worked all her life with a nurse in a children's hospital. So she died, saving the children. In Belgorod, then 25 people died. It is very difficult. And they still hammer, hammer and hammer at least three times a day. They do this almost on schedule: at eight in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening.

It is the center of Belgorod who is shelling, and this is the worst. There is no military equipment. Why are they shooting here - it is incomprehensible. We are attached, but what else do we do? Children are very sorry, because they have to hide. Our poor grandchildren. And I'm not afraid of anything myself. As they say, there are no two deaths, but one cannot be passed. It bangs once, and that’s it. It would not be possible to only be left without arms and legs, not to become a disabled person. Adults are not afraid - to us to the light bulb. It would only end faster.

My mother is 87 years old. After the signals about missile danger on Friday, on March 15, she went and voted. I myself worked on Friday, voted on Sunday. He came to his mother, ate, went to the site. True, there all pockets turned out at the entrance, forced to show the phone, lay out the lighter. This is understandable, they were afraid of all kinds of provocations. I calmly voted, the girls wished all the best. I will not say who I chose - this is my personal business.

I think that the more they shoot, the more people go and vote - everyone wants the war to end as soon as possible. I don’t know if something will change after the elections for the better: for all the will of God. We get up in the morning, pray, so God helps us.

We are already used to shelling, where do we run? And why run? And what to run with? We were born here, we will live and die here.

"We will be fought for the rest of Russia"

Karina, student

I was born in the Belgorod region, and three years ago I moved to Belgorod itself to study at the university. Due to the shelling that have become so strong in the last days, on the weekend I left for my parents in my hometown. It’s very scary to be in Belgorod - I constantly sat in the bathroom or corridor all the previous week.

Here, the siren’s parents do not sound, but she already seems to me constantly, and at night she dreams of shelling. Every “bang” is terrible outside the window, even when it is just some loud sound.

None of my classmates and friends went to vote at all. At the university, we were not agitated to vote. Everyone has a very apathetic mood in this regard: because of shelling and because of the lack of choice as such. When we discussed the elections with friends, many asked a rhetorical question: "Who to vote for?" There is no one to vote for, there are no worthy candidates.

I have heard such an argument very many times: "During the war, the president does not change." Many Belgorodians think so. I think that among those who really reached polling stations, Putin’s rather great support. But many simply did not go to vote.

I voted with my parents on Saturday on the site, a paper ballot, put a tick for Davankov, although I do not support any of the candidates put forward. I saw that the Belgorod region attributed a very high turnout on the first day of the election, but I doubt very much about the reliability of these numbers. Friday is a working day. And if you do not work and do not study, then it’s actually scary to go out again, because at any moment shelling can begin.

I believe that after the election nothing will change for the better - rather, even worse will. We see in the news how Moscow celebrates the 10th anniversary of the annexation of Crimea: everyone rejoices, laugh. At the same time, we hear shelling, we read that in the Belgorod region, due to the arrival of the rocket, a family of four people killed . From such contrast, I feel terrible hopelessness, depression and helplessness. We are fooling around the rest of Russia, and other regions do not even think about us.

I saw the hashtag #Belgorodorossia on the weekend: people began to leave comments on different social networks with him and lay out the realties on Instagram with the views of a peaceful beautiful city that contrast with shelling. But I do not think that there is a lot of meaning in this action: the Belgorod residents have already launched last summer, when they left a message everywhere with the hashtag #Shebekino and #Shebekino -Etorossia. So what about that? Shebekino is sheated every day, the city is almost demolished. And everyone does not care, except us, Belgorod.

We are told, they say, leave. Where do we go? For what money? We cannot leave for Europe, they will not give us visas, they will not give us reference. Nobody needs us: neither one or the other side.