Description
ABOUT THE BOOK
This book comprises ten speeches in court by people who opposed Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, and were arrested, tried and handed long jail sentences for doing so. There are also letters and interviews in which they made their case; two statements, made outside court, by other protesters who went on trial; a summary of 17 other anti-war protesters’ speeches in Russian courts; and a chapter on resistance in the occupied territories of Ukraine, and in Russia, and the reaction by the Kremlin’s repressive machine. Speeches by Alexei Gorinov, Igor Paskar, Bohdan Ziza, Mikhail Kriger, Andrei Trofimov, Sasha Skochilenko, Aleksandr Skobov, Darya Kozyreva, Alexei Rozhkov, Ruslan Siddiqi, Kirill Butylin and Savelii Morozov.
ENDORSEMENTS
“This remarkable book gathers the voices of those persecuted in Russia for opposing the war in Ukraine—individuals whose acts of resistance range from writing a few words to sabotaging military equipment. Yet all their actions are bound by a common thread: conscience. They insist that even prison is preferable to a life lived in fear, and that true self-preservation lies in safeguarding one’s dignity and moral clarity—not merely the body or personal freedom. Their words speak to silent Russians—you are not alone; to Ukrainians—we stand with you; and to the Russian state—we see you, we remember, and history will judge you. Refusing the label of political prisoners and insisting on being called patriots, they offer more than resistance—they offer hope”.
Alexei Yurchak, Professor of Anthropology at University of California, Berkeley, author of Everything Was Forever, Until It Was No More: the Last Soviet Generation.
An extraordinary collection that sheds light on the continuing tradition of Russian political dissidents in the age of Putin. These voices speak from an unimaginable abyss, and yet they inspire hope with poetry, philosophy and profanity, proving that the spirit of defiance can never be extinguished.
Julie Ward, former Member of the European Parliament (Labour)
These voices of Russian political prisoners, fighters against militarism and oppression, remind us that today’s Putin bloody dictatorship is not a unique phenomenon, but belongs to our scary global present. And it means that each of these impressive speeches is directed to everyone who cares about human dignity and social justice.
Ilya Budraitskis, activist and sociologist