September 26, 2024

Another Year, No Signs of Their Husbands


Another Year, No Signs of Their Husbands
Wives and daughters protest in front of the Ministry of Defense holding signs reading "Demobilization" and "Bring dad back, I have been waiting two years." Paulina /Mobilizatsia i Lyudi, Telegram.

On September 21, wives of mobilized soldiers commemorated a grim date. They gathered in front of the Ministry of Defense building in Moscow to protest the second anniversary of the "partial mobilization" of Russia's war in Ukraine.

The wives of the drafted men have long advocated for their return from the front and protested the "indefinite mobilization" of their husbands. One of the most vocal members, Maria Andreyeva, was declared a foreign agent in May.

On September 20, the Telegram channel Put' Domoy (The Way Home), which advocates for the wives of mobilized soldiers, announced the women would go to the Ministry of Defense to ask for the demobilization of their loved ones. Soon after, participants of the movement got warnings from police.

On September 21, twenty women attended the protest with signs reading "Demobilization" and "Bring dad back home, I have been waiting for two years." They were not alone for long. Agitators approached and began recording the protesters, shoving phones in their faces. One of the wives was filmed saying, "You are violating the personal limits of the Ministry of Defense," while the men insulted her. In another video, a passerby tells the women they were paid to protest for their husbands.  Regardless, the Telegram channel Paulina / Mobilizatsia i Lyudi (Paulina / Mobilization and People) announced that the women planned to spend the night in front of the Ministry of Defense.

Before the protest, two journalists from SotaVision, Maxim Seramush and Denis Panteleyev, were detained in front of the Ministry of Defense. They were released shortly after and given "warnings."

Prospects for the return of the soldiers mobilized in September 2022 are still grim. In the fall of 2023, the head of the State Duma Defense Committee, Andrey Kartapolov, said the soldiers drafted in September 2022 would not return until the completion of the "special military operation." President Vladimir Putin confirmed that the draft decree did not include rotation terms.

Meanwhile, many convicted felons who signed contracts with the military have been allowed to return home. 

You Might Also Like

One Country, Two Wars
  • September 16, 2023

One Country, Two Wars

The Kremlin is currently conducting not one, but two horrific wars.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

Frogs Who Begged...
November 01, 2010

Frogs Who Begged...

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955