Press release, 07.04.2014

On Sunday, 6 April, an anti-war rally of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and for both Russia and Ukraine joining the European Union was held in Arkhangelsk. The regional branch of the YABLOKO party participated in the action.

“Today we have gathered here so that those Russians who welcome annexation of Crimea to Russia would think what they are approving of. We have gathered here to try to shake the confidence of those Russians who are in favour of allowing the state media to lie,” Polina Shubina, Chair of the Arkhangelsk branch of YABLOKO, said.

All the speakers at the rally protested against the recent actions of the Russia’s political leadership towards Ukraine, all agreed that the main reasons of boosting negative and hostile attitudes towards Ukraine in Russia were the attempts of the Russian authorities to avoid responsibility for the complete failure of their economic policies and corruption.

Addresses of Ukrainian teachers and their pupils to the participants of the rally were read out loud. On behalf of teachers and pupils of Ukrainian schools they expressed their gratitude to the participants of the rally for their counter-actions to the policies of the Russian authorities targeted at inflating hostility between Russia and Ukraine.. Together with the letters Ukrainian teachers sent video recordings of addresses of Ukrainian school children in support of peace and friendship between Ukraine and Russia.