The leaders and activists of Yabloko laid flowers at the Monument to the Defenders of Democracy

Press Release, 21.08.2022

Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

On 21 August, Yabloko honoured the memory of the victims in the August 1991 coup. Chairman of the Yabloko party Nikolai Rybakov, Maxim Kruglov, Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Yabloko and a deputy of the Moscow City Duma, Kirill Goncharov, Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Yabloko, Nikolai Kavkazsky, a deputy chairman of the Yabloko Gender Faction, and party activists laid flowers at the Monument to the Defenders of Democracy in Russia, which is located at the intersection of Novy Arbat street and the Garden Ring.

It was here where young people Dmitry Komar, Ilya Krichevsky and Vladimir Usov died under tanks while defending the Russian White House during an attempted coup 31 years ago, on 21 August.

“Our responsibility to these guys, and to everyone who then defended democracy in Moscow, is to continue this work, not to give up, not to despair, and spare no effort in bringing peace closer. These times will pass anyway, and our work, the work of Yabloko, is to bring these times closer,” Nikolai Rybakov said.

Maxim Kruglov, Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Yabloko, noted that Yabloko was facing the same tasks as the killed defenders of democracy 30 years ago:

“Russia should be a democratic, free and peaceful country. I hope that we can handle this responsibility and make sure that the death of the three young men was not in vain.”

Kirill Goncharov, Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Yabloko, recalled how important it was not to forget to honour the memory of those who died for democracy:

“We know what they sacrificed their lives for. It is very insulting and depressing now to realise that the regime, against which they came out and died, has been restored in our country.”

Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

The Yabloko party annually takes part in the memorial action on 21 August.