September 03, 2013

Russian Political Prisoners Ignored by Everyone


Russian Political Prisoners Ignored by Everyone

Sergey Udaltsov, a leftist protest leader currently under house arrest pending investigation of his alleged planning of the May 6, 2012 Bolotnaya Square riots (the so-called Bolotnaya Square Case), exemplifies the popular saying: “out of sight, out of mind.” Prohibited from staying in close contact with anyone but his family and lawyers, he has struggled to maintain relevancy in the opposition movement ever since his arrest. Udaltsov is not alone in his plight — the twelve men and women currently on trial for their involvement in the riots (most of them have remained in pre-trial detention for the past year) also appear to have been largely forgotten. In an interview recently published [ru] in Novaya Gazeta, Udaltsov explained why people seem to have lost interest:

Да, сейчас все увлечены осенними выборами, да — «болотное дело» тянется очень долго, разбито на несколько частей, что не способствует поддержанию острого интереса общества и средств массовой информации.

right now everyone is preoccupied with the Fall elections, [...] the “Bolotnaya Case” is being stretched out, is broken up into several components, which isn't conducive to maintaining interest from the public and from the media.

Udaltsov called on protest leaders to combat this malaise, to “actively go to court hearings, conduct a strong information campaign” and “prepare for new rallies and marches of solidarity.”

His complaint was echoed by Maria Baronova [Global Voices Report], one of the accused in the case. Baronova, who unlike other defendants is out on bail, has been attempting to raise awareness through blogging, social media, and journalism, but feels [ru] that her efforts are in vain:

[...] люди добавляют, что конечно же интерес к Болотному делу появится, ну, когда будет приговор. Ну и тогда, дескать, “Болотная” что-то с этим сделает. Например, напишет классные колонки [...]

[...] people [say], that of course there will be interest in the Bolotnaya Case, well, when there is a verdict. Then, they say, “Bolotnaya” will do something. For instance, write really great op-eds [...]

Maria Baronova asking people to come support the Bolotnaya prisoners.

Maria Baronova asking people to come support the Bolotnaya prisoners. YouTube screenshot.

Baronova's frustrations came to a head last Friday, when she ran into notorious internet troll Egor Prosvirnin in a Moscow bar. Both were attending an impromptu outing organized by DemVybor's Stanislav Yakovlev (the list of participants [ru], from ultra-nationalist Prosvirnin, to liberal journalists Ivan Davydov and Elena Kostyuchenko simply serves as a reminder of how insular and cliquey the Moscow political “tusovka” is, no matter how fractured it seems from the outside).

Egor Prosvirnin at a nationalist rally. YouTube screenshot.

Egor Prosvirnin at a nationalist rally. YouTube screenshot.

Baronova apparently asked Prosvirnin, who runs the popular nationalist internet publication Sputnik & Pogrom [ru], why he hasn't covered her trial. Prosvirnin's answer was either brutally honest or a cynical troll (your mileage may vary) — he doesn't care, and no one else does either. Baronova tweeted quotes from their conversation, and later collated them into a Facebook post [ru]. Prosvirnin spent the night telling her that the courtroom drama isn't popular on social media, and that it won't become a conversation topic until it is adopted by Alexey Navalny in his campaign for mayor (Navalny himself faces jail time in a political case):

- Если писать о Болотных Узниках, – говорит Егор Просвирнин, – то получишь 15 лайков.Это борьба с Ветряными мельницами. Не надо о них писать

— Maria Baronova (@ponny1) August 24, 2013

- Writing about Bolotnaya Prisoners, – says Egor Prosvirnin, – you'll get 15 [Facebook] likes. This is like battling windmills. You shouldn't write about it.

- Я не буду писать о Болотных узниках, потому что они никого не ебут (с) Егор Просвирнин — Maria Baronova (@ponny1) August 24, 2013

- I won't write about Bolotnaya prisoners because no one f*cking cares about them (c) Egor Prosvirnin

- Вы пишете об абсолютно проигрышном деле,потому что если завтра Навальный станет президентом, то о Болотном деле еще быстрей забудут (с) Ёж

— Maria Baronova (@ponny1) August 24, 2013

- You are writing about a completely losing battle, because if Navalny becomes president tomorrow, people will forget about the Bolotnaya case even faster (c) Hedgehog [Prosvirnin's nickname on the popular forum Lepra]

- История об узниках Болотной начнет иметь смысл, когда о ней начнет писать Навальный. А до этого нет смысла (с) Просвирнин — Maria Baronova (@ponny1) August 24, 2013

- The story of the Bolotnaya prisoners will have some meaning when Navalny starts covering it. Before that, there is no point (c) Prosvirnin

- Если бы я был Бароновой, то я бы пришел в штаб Навального и разделся бы по пояс и пока он бы не писал только об узниках (с) Просвирнин

— Maria Baronova (@ponny1) August 24, 2013 

If I was Baronova, I would come to Navalny's HQ and take off my top until he started writing about the prisoners (c) Prosvirnin

Baronova eventually left, saying:

На этом трансляция из ада заканчивается. Это было лучшее, что я слушала о Болотном деле за год. Мысли были у многих, высказали мне их сейчас

— Maria Baronova (@ponny1) August 24, 2013 

On this note, our live coverage of Hell is over. This was the best thing I've heard about the Bolotnaya case during the past year. Many people have had these thoughts, but now they've been aired

The sad thing is that Baronova, who rather naturally finds the topic of her trial very personal, is probably fighting a losing battle. If the fickle Russian public forgot about the much more memorable Pussy Riot case, just a month after their sentencing, what chance have the defendants who haven't danced in a cathedral wearing colorful masks?


This article by Andrey Tselikhov was originally published by Global Voices Online, a website that translates and reports on blogs from around the world.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
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. 
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian 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.
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.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
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.
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.
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.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

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