«All my life I have been an opponent of aggression, violence, war, dedicating it exclusively to peaceful pursuits: science, teaching, education, management, public activity as a deputy, human rights defender, member of election commissions, and election process monitor. And I never thought I would live to see such a level of degradation of the political system of my country, its foreign policy, when ordinary citizens, whose number is already in the thousands, advocating for peace, against war, would be accused of slandering the Armed Forces and justifying terrorism and be tried.
The third year of war is coming to an end, the third year of unprecedented casualties and destruction on European territory since World War II, deprivations and sufferings of millions of people. This cannot be silenced.
Back at the end of April, our former Minister of Defense announced the losses on the Ukrainian side in the armed conflict — 500 thousand people. Think about this number! And what losses did Russia suffer, which, according to official bodies, is constantly advancing successfully across the entire front? We still do not know this. And who will answer for this? For what is all this?
Our authorities and those who support them in their militaristic aspirations wanted this war so much — and now it has already come to our land. I want to ask them: has our life become better? Is this how you understand the well-being and security of our country and its population? Or did you not foresee such a development of the situation in your calculations?
But so far, it is not those who started the war, continue to kill, promote war, and engage in mercenary activities who have to answer, but us, ordinary citizens of Russia, raising our voices against war, for peace. Answer, paying with our freedom, and some <have to pay> with their lives.
I belong to the departing generation of people whose parents participated in World War II or survived it with all its hardships. The already departed generation bequeathed to us to preserve peace by all means, as the most valuable thing on Earth for all its inhabitants. And we neglected their covenants and devalued our memory of these people and the sacrifices of that war.
My guilt lies in the fact that as a citizen of my country, I allowed this war, could not stop it. And I ask to note this in the sentence.
But I would like the organizers, participants, supporters of the war, as well as the persecutors of those who advocate for peace, to share my guilt and responsibility with me.
I continue to live with the hope that this will someday be the case. In the meantime, I ask the people of Ukraine and my fellow citizens affected by the war to forgive me.
In the case for which I was accused and tried for expressing the opinion that it is necessary to seek the cessation of war, I fully expressed my attitude to this vile human activity. I can only say that violence, aggression only beget reciprocal violence and nothing more. This is the true cause of our woes, sufferings, our senseless sacrifices, destruction of civilian and industrial infrastructure, our homes.
Let's stop this bloody, unnecessary slaughter — neither for us nor for the people of Ukraine. Isn't it time to leave our neighbors alone and deal with our internal problems, which are growing like a snowball? We have long proven to the whole world how brave, resilient, and peace-loving we are. So maybe that's enough already?
L.N. Tolstoy — from a letter to his son (1904):
«For me, the madness, the criminality of war is so clear that besides this madness and criminality, I can see nothing in it».
I also join and sign under these words of our great compatriot.
Join in too!»
Photo: SOTAvision