October 11, 2023

"Our Men Are Not Slaves; Bring Them Home"


"Our Men Are Not Slaves; Bring Them Home"
Readiness check of the 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division. Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, Wikimedia Commons

Wives and mothers of Russian mobilized conscripts organized a massive flash mob, a call to return reservists home. However, rather than gathering in person, this flash mob occured in the comments section of an online broadcast of Vladimir Putin’s speech at the Valdai Discussion Club.

Messages from relatives of the mobilized expressed deep concern that their loved ones have been stationed at the front for over a year. "Our men are not slaves; bring them home," wrote one concerned relative. Simultaneously, authorities have initiated measures to block resources where relatives of the mobilized have been coordinating their appeals in the comments sections of official statements and in private chats with deputies, wives, and mothers of reservists.

Specifically, on VKontakte, Russia’s largest (state-owned) social network, the group "Za zamenu mobilizovannykh" ("For the replacement of those mobilized") has been blocked, and on Zen, a recommendation service made by Yandex, the channel "Semyi mobilizonavnnykh iz Rossii" ("Families of those mobilized from Russia") has been included in Roskomnadzor’s restricted content list. After the flash mob, more messages appeared in comments under Putin’s appearances in communities of wives and mothers of the mobilized, urging them not to comment on live broadcasts by officials.

Previously, Vazhnye Istorii journalists had observed that VKontakte started blocking user posts with hashtags like #vernyomrebyat ("#bringbacktheguys") and #mobilizovannymporadomoy (#"themobilized should go back home"), based on the Prosecutor General’s Office’s concerns regarding “unreliable” information about the war in Ukraine.

As the consequences of these actions unfold, women connected to the mobilized Russian armed forces are raising concerns in group chats, attempting to draw attention to the issues arising from the indefinite deployment of reservists at the front through personal and public appeals to officials.

Mobilization was announced on September 21, 2022. According to Russian authorities, 300,000 people were mobilized at that time. Many have already lost their lives. A recent study indicates that, on average, Russian conscripts perished in Ukraine after just four and a half months of service, and every fifth conscript did not survive for more than two months. Those who have endured are compelled to continue their service.

According to Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense, there are no provisions for the rotation of mobilized conscripts, and they are expected to return home only after the conclusion of the war.

You Might Also Like

To Stay and Survive
  • August 15, 2023

To Stay and Survive

A filmmaker Elizaveta spent months riding Russia’s rails and discussing the war with fellow travelers.
Lords of War
  • August 10, 2023

Lords of War

New report details how Russian oligarchs are recruiting "volunteers" for Russia's War on Ukraine.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, 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