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

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.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

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 Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
Murder and the Muse

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.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
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.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

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