Yabloko Deputy Chair Alexander Gnezdilov commemorated the defenders of the White House, 23.08.2017

On August 22, a rally in memory of the coup of 1991 took place in Moscow. The participants of the action commemorated Dmitry Komar, Ilya Krichevsky and Vladimir Usov, who died on the night of August 20 to August 21, 1991, defending the White House [the Russian parliament] against the troops sent by the GKChP, communist hardliners who had launched a putsch in an attempt to derail Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms.

Yabloko Deputy Chair Alexander Gnezdilov, made a speech at the rally:

“We are are now standing at the place where three heroes died. Among other things they gave their lives for this flag that is now flying over every government body in our country. It means that they undoubtedly won the historical victory. But today we witness that there is no such a vestige of the day before yesterday that could not be easily brought to our present life. Today we witness that the state turns its back on the present and goes back to the old times.

Three heroes Komar, Usov and Krichevsky laid down their lives for their friends, which, according to St. Luke’s Gospel, is considered to be the greatest virtue. They laid down their lives for all of us! We are their friends. And we cannot betray their friendship. They died for freedom, for democracy, for human rights. And this is the duty that they left for us today…

We must do all in our power so that this victory may remain doubtless, so that they their sacrifice may not come to naught, so that their ideals may live and become customary in our country.

Thanks a lot to those people who organise such memorial actions these days, who preserve this democratic tradition of August 1991, who do not allow this light of freedom to go out. This peaceful and beautiful fire will turn into a flame but it will not burn our country, it will warm it, take care of it and improve it. Thank you! Russia will be free!”