By Olga Karpenko
March 3, 2014 Ain.ua
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine
Source: http://ain.ua/2014/03/03/514610

Last weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the support of the upper chamber of the Russian Parliament decided to send troops to Ukraine. The Russian public has responded to the aggression dubiously – in different cities around the country they held rallies in support of the invasion, and against it. While the protesters carrying posters “Tanks to Kyiv” were guarded by the police, the protesters against the invasion with the slogans “No to war” – were grabbed and taken into the “paddy wagons.” Many Russian bloggers, journalists and cultural figures spoke out directly against the unleashing of military actions on the territory of Ukraine. AIN.UA editors offer a selection of such statements from blogs and social media accounts of famous personalities:

Andrey Makarevich, the leader of “The Time Machine” band

Just on Friday, when the movements of Russian troops into Crimea became known, but Russia had not yet made any official announcements, Andrey wrote a column on “Snob” titled “On villainy.” Over the weekend his post gained over half a million views, 62,000 likes on Facebook, and 20,000 likes in “VKontakte [Russian alternative to Facebook].”

“During the movement of troops into Czechoslovakia, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union did not consult the people. And what did they accomplish by doing that, besides crapping themselves all over the world? Today, there are two countries instead of one. And where are they now? Did we get their love? Or something besides that?

But they have already managed to zombify a fairly large number of idiots and regular ignoramuses with unstable minds. They are already eager to save the Russian-speaking population with weapons in their arms – as if they are asking for help. But they still believe it [false information]. Guys on TV, what are you trying to accomplish?” – says the musician.

Boris Grebenshchikov, “Aquarium” band leader, appealed to the authorities through this Facebook account:

“Those who have power in their hands today – refresh your memory and think about the people who delegated this power to you; you are nothing without these people; stop trying to deceive them. No matter how great was your desire to make history, do not try to do it at the expense of the death of the people who trust you.

There are no problems that cannot be resolved peacefully; there is always a solution that will prevent loss of life. Consider the long-term effects: stop pitting people against each other, stop lying to your people to achieve what looks like a short-term benefit today – tomorrow it will lead to disproportionately large losses.” 

Yuri Shevchuk, leader of “DDT” band recalled the words of his own “Do not shoot!” song on the blog at “Echo of Moscow” website, reminded the Russian authorities about victims in Chechnya, and urged them to avoid fratricidal war:
“Calm down, you, the demons, freaking armchair and kitchen pseudopatriots, militant radicals on both sides [of the conflict] whose hands will finally be untied with the deployment of troops. You crave fraternal bloodlust again, this Viagra to keep all of you up… If, God forbid, the war will break out in 2014 and 200s [military slang for “bodies”] will flow through the veins of Russia and Ukraine, then we will have a different revolution in 2017, and we will all be in another revolution, and all of us will be finally gone.”

Viktor Shenderovich, a journalist and writer,  also recalled peaceful “geopolitical practices of the USSR” on his blog at the “Echo of Moscow” website, and called on everyone to remember the history, and to not repeat their mistakes.

“I am so ahamed. I think I am more ashamed than were the people who were adults when they heard the news about the invasion of Prague in 1968. Then, they still had a feeling of collective powerlessness against the demon-state, driven into their spine long time ago… We have raised this small demon ourselves, grew it in a tube and let it become what it is today.

What happens next is more or less understood by those who had at least a B in history. We will pay dearly for what has happened in the past days.” 

Anton Nosik, a blogger and media manager, quoted in his blog “a relevant abstract” from the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, Chapter 34: “Crimes Against Peace and Mankind’s Security” opens by Article 353: “Planning, preparing, or unleashing an aggressive war shall be punishable by deprivation of liberty for a term of seven to fifteen years.” He also noted another article that criminalized public appeals to unleash a war.

Citizens who are especially motivated to use weapons would appreciate “Apotheosis of War”, the painting by Vasily Vereshchagin, that Nosik used to illustrate his point of view

“As I understand it, neither one of the articles have yet been applied in Russian courts. However, as the great poet Anton Chekhov wrote in his letter to a fellow novelist Aleksandr Lazarev-Gruzinskiy in November of 1889, you cannot leave a loaded gun on stage if no one intends to shoot it,” writes Nosik.

He also published a photo report from a Moscow rally “Yes to war.” “Thank God my son did not ask why people holding the posters “Tanks to Kyiv!” were guarded by the police in downton Moscow, and those with the slogans “No to war!” were forcibly detained,” writes the blogger.

 Zemfira, a Russian singer, composer and songwriter, did not make any separate statements about the war, but the main page on her website has had a video in support of Ukraine, in which she sings “Vidpusty [Let it go]” song by “Okean Elzy” [Ukrainian rock band] in Ukrainian (however, the video itself is from 2008). “Okean Elzy” had a concert in St. Petebrurg scheduled for March 31, 2014 , but it has been canceled:

Valery Panyushkin, a journalist and social activist, wrote a “No to the war!” column on “Snob”:

“A week ago, I had a lot of objections and many questions to the new Ukrainian government. Today, they no longer matter.

At present, I became a citizen of a country that brings its troops into Ukraine, and I am against such introduction [of troops]

The President of my country who made ​​the decision to start a war on the territory of Ukraine, does not represent me in the slightest. None of his accomplishments in any areas of life can redeem the war he has started. I am against this war and against this president…

People in my country took to the streets to support the war. But I seriously believe that supporting the war is madness. No excuses can justify the war in any way. No talks about the limited contingent of troops, about peacekeeping function change the essence [of actions by Russia]. This is war. And I’m against the war.”

Yakov Krotov, a priest and founder of the well-known online library, did not make loud statements. Instead, take a look at his photo on the Crimean Bridge in Moscow:

“CRIMEA IS A BRIDGE OF FREINDSHIP, NOT TANKS”