- Home
- A...
A young Russian's life transformed by Ukraine conflict
Two years ago, Anastasia was working for a spa in Moscow and "life was good".
Russia's offensive in Ukraine changed everything and turned her into an activist.
Aged 29, the blue-eyed brunette now helps victims of repression by writing letters and sending parcels to prisons, as well as working as a journalist for one of Russia's last independent media outlets.
"I started living when all this started. Before, it was like I'd been in a bubble," said Anastasia, known as Nastya, who has a pierced eyebrow.
She spoke to AFP on condition that she not be identified by her full name.
In her previous life, she promoted relaxing baths on social media, she said.
She lost her job in March 2022 after Facebook and Instagram were banned and branded "extremist" following the launch of Russia's offensive.
At the same time, she separated from her husband, whose support for the offensive was the last straw.
While many Russians ignore the conflict and others support the offensive, Anastasia said she has stayed in Russia to fight in her own way, rather than leaving the country like hundreds of thousands of others.
- Writing to 300 prisoners -
One night in March 2022, Anastasia came across a group of Muscovites at an impromptu memorial for late opposition leader Boris Nemtsov on the bridge near the Kremlin where he was shot in 2015.
She ended up spending the night with them and her life took an entirely different turn.
"Since then, I have had no problem waking up at five in the morning," said Anastasia, speaking to AFP in her one-bedroom flat in Zheleznodorozhny, a town near Moscow.
In the mornings, after taking her eight-year-old son to school, she writes to prisoners, who have become regular correspondents over the past two years.
There are more and more of these, since thousands of Russians have been imprisoned for criticising the conflict with Ukraine and dozens have received heavy prison sentences.
Anastasia began her correspondence by sending a postcard to the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny who was jailed outside Moscow and would later be handed a 19-year prison sentence in the Arctic for "extremism".
He died on February 19, 2024, in mysterious circumstances and his funeral in Moscow drew thousands of supporters.
"I have 300 regular correspondents whom I find mainly on social media," she said, playing with her handcuff-shaped earrings.
"I never select, I don't even look at their records. I write to anyone I can find," she said, from regular criminals to what she calls "political" cases.
Among these is Vladimir Kara-Murza, who last year was sentenced to 25 years -- the harshest sentence against an opposition leader in the history of modern Russia.
"I wrote to him because of his moral authority. I wanted to ask him a question that was bothering me at the time -- can you still fall in love when all this is happening around us?" she said.
"I can, Kara-Murza said so," she joked.
- 'My life finally has meaning' -
Anastasia's afternoons are also devoted to helping prisoners. Before setting off for the post office, she buys some basic goods for detainees in Moscow's Lefortovo jail, a symbol of repression since Soviet times.
She accepts donations to cover these purchases.
For some months, she has also been working as a court reporter, following the trials of victims of repression for a small independent media outlet.
She says she "does not earn much" but also "does not need much".
Her work often continues into the night.
She regularly organises evening gatherings in central Moscow bringing together dozens of people of different ages to sign birthday cards for prisoners.
"My life finally has meaning," she said at one gathering, looking on with pride as animated discussions went on around her.
But she said she gets annoyed by Russians who have left and are critical of those who have stayed behind despite disagreeing with the country's course.
"I stayed so that they can come back! And there are a lot of people like me," she said.
bur/bp
- https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/world/a-young-russian-s-life-transformed-by-ukraine-conflict/ar-BB1n6JWF?ocid=00000000
Related
‘I talk to a lot of presidents’: Serena Williams gets testy when asked about Trump after being named on regular call list
‘I talk to a lot of presidents’: Serena Williams gets testy when asked about Trump after being named on regular call list - ‘I spoke to every president since I’ve been alive, including Ronald Reagan, I’ll have you know,’ former tennis star says
NewsRarest Obtainable Hunter Pets In World Of Warcraft
Each race in World of Warcraft has a special Hunter pet, but some are incredibly rare and difficult to find.
NewsRex Whistler died a hero fighting Nazis – but ‘woke’ activists want to bury his name
One used to lunch in the restaurant at Tate Britain and study the remarkable 1927 mural by Rex Whistler, The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats. Whistler was barely out of the Slade, and just 21, when he began this fantasy, showing people about the same age as the artist going through an imaginary landscape looking for food. Part of the mural’s...
NewsWar Unveiled: 18 Films Exposing the Dark Truths That Fiction Can’t Hide!
When you think of the cinematic world, it’s not just about glitz and glamor but also those hidden jewels tucked away in the corners. The realm of war movies is no different. While some movies bask in the spotlight, others silently shine, waiting for us to discover them. And trust me, once you stumble upon these overlooked treasures, you’ll wonder why they didn’t make it to your weekend binge list sooner!
NewsArchaeologists stumped by huge 4,000-year-old Greek wheel building that could stop an airport
Archaeologists stumped by huge 4,000-year-old Greek wheel building that could stop an airport - Resembling a huge car wheel from above, the ruins came to light during a recent dig by archaeologists
NewsAncient Maya Genomes Sequenced for First Time
In the spring of 1967, workers building a small airport behind Chichén Itzá, the ancient Maya city in Mexico, ran into a problem: Their excavations had uncovered human remains in the pathway of the proposed runway. The airport was set to serve V.I.P.s who wanted to visit Chichén Itzá. But with the remains so close to a major archaeological site, the work had to be halted until the bones could be examined. Any hope for a quick resolution...
NewsIs this pint-sized electric vehicle about to be big disruptor in US?
The electric Eli Zero is shorter than the Hummer EV is wide, seats two passengers and can travel at 25 mph and 60 miles on a single charge.
NewsDonald Trump's Fortunes Reversed in Two Battleground States
The former president is now marginally behind President Joe Biden in Wisconsin and Michigan.
News