February 27, 2023

A Wall of Resistance


A Wall of Resistance
Dmitry Skurikhin kneeling in front of the wall covered with names of Ukrainian cities in red and holding a sign saying "Sorry, Ukraine."  Telekanal Dozhd, Telegram.

In times when dissidents in Russia are forced to remain silent, a picture of a shopkeeper from a town near St. Petersburg went viral on the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine. He can be seen holding a sign with the words "Sorry, Ukraine." The walls behind him are covered with the names of Ukrainian cities painted in red and the words "Peace to Ukraine, Freedom for Russia."

The 47-year-old entrepreneur, activist, and former municipal deputy, Dmitry Skurikhin, has not hidden his opposition to the invasion. The Russko-Vysotskoe native drives a car with "Net Voine" (No to war) written on it and refuses to shave his beard as long as President Vladimir Putin remains in power. However, his loudest statements are on the wall of his shop in his village.

In early March 2022, Skurikhin grabbed social media attention by putting up pictures of destroyed residential buildings in Kharkiv and one of a girl who died from shelling. Ever since March, the activist has written the names of Ukrainian cities that come under attack on the facade of his shop.

According to Skurikhin, the police haven't been too harsh on him because they aren't in a city. He also assures he's not received much backlash from the community. Yet, authorities have taken down his posters and fined him multiple times for his displays on the wall and Facebook posts. In April 2022, Three unidentified men wrote "Traitor" on his walls. 

When asked if he was afraid, Skurikhin responded: " I'm scared. (...) [but] I can't stop campaigning. "

 

You Might Also Like

Eat. Bake. Protest.
  • January 25, 2023

Eat. Bake. Protest.

How a woman from Moscow turned a cake business into an anti-war protest and helped charities.
Another Political Prisoner
  • February 20, 2023

Another Political Prisoner

A court in Barnaul sentenced an independent Russian journalist for "fake news" about the Russian army.
Art and Punishment
  • December 18, 2022

Art and Punishment

Unearthed archival documents show that Vladimir Putin investigated a dissident artist as a junior KGB agent in Leningrad.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
The Moscow Eccentric

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.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
How Russia Got That Way

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.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

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. 
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

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