Russian Nationalists Attack History Students' Award Ceremony

On April 28, a group of Russian nationalists attacked a history students' award ceremony held in Moscow, spraying disinfectant liquid and throwing eggs at participants. They described the event as an initiative supported by foreign powers to rewrite Russian history. About 50 students from across Russia attended the ceremony to receive awards for their essays on 20th-century Russian history, organized by the Memorial association, a respected historical research organization. Organizers and participants reported that upon arriving at the venue at the House of Cinema in Moscow, they encountered around 20 nationalist activists, some dressed in military-style uniforms, who condemned the participants for allegedly ignoring the Soviet Union's role in defeating Nazi Germany during World War II. The attackers threw eggs at the participants and sprayed several individuals with Zelyonka, a common disinfectant from the Soviet era that leaves thick green stains. One of the individuals attacked with this disinfectant was Lyudmila Ulitskaya, a famous Russian writer who chaired the jury of the competition. According to Meduza, a Russian news website, one of the nationalists who attacked the event stated, 'Our goal is to drive the demons out of these Jewish teenagers. These kids have been brainwashed and need medical help.' Irina Yasnina, a prominent liberal activist and a jury member of the history competition, said, 'The attackers shouted that the participants in this program are whores, not teachers.' Nationalist activists and state-affiliated media in Russia claim that the event is a tool for advancing the sinister goals of its financial backers, including billionaire businessman Mikhail Prokhorov and several German non-profit organizations, including the Heinrich Böll Foundation. Nationalist protesters gathered outside the venue holding placards that read, 'We do not need a history bought with foreign money' and 'Stop distorting history.' They directly referenced the widespread purges during Stalin's era, chanting, 'Purge, purge, purge.' The Russian news agency Interfax reported that police arrested one of the protesters and charged them with 'disturbing the peace.' Memorial is the oldest and most recognized human rights organization in Russia, encompassing over 50 various institutions and organizations across the country. Founded in 1989, inspired by dissident scientist Andrei Sakharov, a Nobel laureate, one of its main activities is exposing the repressions of the Soviet era and fighting discrimination in contemporary Russia. Russian nationalists have consistently accused Memorial of attempting to distort the history of the Soviet Union, including its significant role in defeating Nazi Germany. Last year, the Russian Ministry of Justice listed the human rights defense section of this organization as 'agents of foreign powers' and accused it of attempting to change the regime due to its emphasis on stopping Russia's military aggression in Ukraine. The attack on this program, particularly because the participants were students, has been criticized on Russian social media. Ksenia Larnya, a prominent journalist and jury member of the competition, wrote, 'As a citizen of Moscow, I ask for forgiveness from the students for what happened.' 'For many of them, traveling to Moscow is an important occasion. What happened that day was not the true face of the people of Moscow. This is a cork that will burst sooner or later, and for you, it was a baptism like purification by fire.'