85-year-old Lyudmila Vasilyeva, a resident of St. Petersburg, came out to the Solovetsky Stone on May 9 with a poster: “Do not cover up your crimes with people’s Victory.” Vasilyeva also brought a bouquet of flowers and a candle to the memorial to Gulag prisoners, Meduza reports.
Vasilyeva was detained and taken to the 43rd police department. Along with her, the police took a journalist covering the action.
Vasilyeva was released from the police without drawing up a report on an administrative violation. They demanded that she write an explanation, but she refused, citing Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which states. that “no one is obliged to testify against himself.”
Lyudmila Vasilyeva regularly organizes anti-war events. She was detained several times. In 2024, she was going to participate in the elections for governor of St. Petersburg, but was unable to collect enough signatures for nomination. In March 2026, she recorded a video message in which she called for a quiet protest.