On March 2, more than 720 people were arrested in Russia in protests against the war in 32 cities. Among them, the septuagenarian artist and activist, Yelena Osipova, which, as can be seen in the images provided by the Reuters agency, was separated by a group of police officers while protesting against the war in Saint Petersburg.
In Russia, the authorities are cracking down hard on demonstrations and marches, and attending them can lead to serious consequences, including fines, arrests, and even imprisonment.
In addition to the images shared in the main video, those of the political observer ДАМА с ПЕРЕГАРОМ have gone viral on social networks with the text: “In St. Petersburg, the famous survivor of the siege Yelena Osipova was arrested.”
Who is Yelena Osipova?
Yelena Osipova is a 77-year-old woman known for being a survivor of the Siege of Leningrad (1941 – 1944), when he was not even a year old, and for his participation in the campaigns against the war.
This Russian artist expresses her objections and points of view in her paintings and can be seen on the streets demonstrating with them. In 2015, the activist went viral and paintings of her against pacifists flooded the networks.
One of the best known is the painting ‘Russia is a bird, not a bear’, according to the newspaper ‘The Russian Reader’. In the work you can read: “Russia wants to be a bird: peaceful, honest, kind. Russia: kind and hardworking. 2011: The bear has no cure. Vote for the bird. Even if it is hurt, if it is treated well, can fly high. Vote for the hardworking bird.”
After the 2015 protests, Osipova has participated in various exhibitions with her posters and portraits. Also, in 2018, she took to the streets of St. Petersburg to provide her support to the Ukrainian filmmaker, Oleg Sentsov. This filmmaker and political activist was on a hunger strike after receiving twenty years in prison for dissidence.
Source: Lasexta
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
