War Memorials, Harsh Justice

In June, the Prosecutor General’s Office proposed lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 14 for inappropriate behavior near war memorials. The move comes as criminal cases for such actions have surged across the country, especially since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The independent outlet Novaya Vkladka analyzed news reports and data from the SOVA Center and found that at least 104 cases related to misconduct near military memorials have been initiated in Russia over the past five years. Of the 104 cases, only five were administrative. In 86% of the criminal cases, authorities used Article 354.1 of the Russian Criminal Code, “Rehabilitation of Nazism,” even in cases involving minors.

Though the article was introduced in 2014, it only began to be applied to incidents at memorial sites in 2020. One of the earliest high-profile cases occurred in 2021, when a homeless man in Miass attempted to dry his socks using the Eternal Flame. Initially charged with vandalism, the case was reclassified under the Nazi rehabilitation statute after the intervention of Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin. A court ordered the confinement of the homeless man in a psychiatric facility.

Novaya Vkladka found that, among the 104 cases covered in the media, the most common offense under Article 354.1 was lighting cigarettes from the Eternal Flame; at least 13 such instances were recorded. Other acts included throwing snowballs, flowers, or wreaths into the fire; pouring soda or alcohol on it; cooking coffee or sausages over the flame; urinating on it; or dancing on the pedestal. This spring, even a traffic violation led to charges: In Irkutsk, a drunk, unlicensed driver sped along a pedestrian path near the Eternal Flame, where vehicles are prohibited.

In some instances, the Eternal Flame was desecrated at memorials not directly linked to World War II, such as those commemorating the Russian Civil War, yet suspects were still prosecuted under the Nazi rehabilitation statute. Legal expert Damir Gainutdinov explained that Part 3 of the article references “memorial dates,” encompassing a wide range of military commemorations, from the Battle of Kulikovo to Alexander Nevsky’s Battle on the Ice.

Gainutdinov noted that in cases like lighting a cigarette from the Eternal Flame, prosecutors must prove intent to desecrate a symbol of military glory for the charge to hold. However, this requirement is often ignored.

The number of such prosecutions has risen sharply since 2022. Only two cases were identified in 2020, and three in 2021. But by 2022, that number jumped to 17, followed by 19 in 2023 and 37 in 2024. From January to June 2025 alone, 21 new criminal cases were reported. 

Sentencing outcomes remain partially unclear: In 43 cases, no verdicts could be found, possibly due to ongoing trials or lack of public records. Of the known outcomes, 18 individuals were sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven months to four years. Two were arrested in administrative proceedings. Community service was ordered in 15 cases; four individuals were sent for compulsory psychiatric treatment. Nine were fined, including two migrants, who were also deported. Five received suspended sentences.

Leningrad Oblast is among the leaders in such prosecutions, with at least six cases. The latest, in the town of Kirishi, ended in a suspended sentence.

In June 2024, students from Kirishi Polytechnic, Georgy Petrov and Ivan Stepanov, along with a teenage girl, roasted sausages over the Eternal Flame and ate them. The act occurred at a mass grave for Soviet soldiers who died during World War II. The students were charged under the Nazi rehabilitation statute. Both men, now adults, pleaded guilty and requested a fast-tracked trial. 

They received positive character references: Petrov authored an article on memorial preservation, donated to a fund that supports veterans of the Russian war on Ukraine, and volunteered. 

Stepanov began working to support his mother and improved his academic performance.

According to Novaya Vkladka, children and teenagers are often responsible for vandalizing Eternal Flames and war memorials. Russia’s Justice Ministry recorded about 370 such incidents since 2022, most involving minors. Since criminal liability under Article 354.1 begins at age 16, these cases are typically dropped. Authorities may instead fine parents or place the children under the supervision of juvenile affairs commissions.

Meanwhile, Russia is preparing to expand Article 243.4 of the criminal code, which penalizes destruction or damage to war memorials. On June 11, the State Duma approved a draft law in its first reading that would add "desecration" to the list of punishable actions.

“This change creates room for maneuver and bargaining for prosecutors, investigators, and defense lawyers alike,” Gainutdinov said.

Galina Arapova, director of the Mass Media Defense Center, suggested the law could also apply to memorials honoring soldiers who died in the war in Ukraine.