Ukraine conflict
“No to war!” – the children of the Russian elite show their resistance on Instagram
Oligarch children like Sofia Abramovich post their opposition to the war
All of Russia is behind the attack on Ukraine – that’s how Putin’s government puts it. The younger generation disagrees – including that of oligarchs and politicians.
The government’s narrative is clear: Russia’s attack on Ukraine was provoked by the West, it is a peace operation, and the Russian people are behind it. Protests against the conflict were banned. The children of the oligarchs are now opposed to the social networks.
“No to war!” it is said in different variants in the Instagram posts of numerous children from the Russian elite. And athletes, children of politicians and ultimately even some oligarchs themselves have long since sided with them.
“Lies of the Kremlin”
One of the best-known dissenting voices is that of Sofia Abramovich. The daughter of Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich rose up as the voice of ordinary people on Instagram. “The Kremlin’s biggest and most successful lie is that all Russians are behind Putin,” she posted on the network. Abramovich is repeatedly named as a beneficiary of the Putin system, but he himself denies any close connection to the Kremlin.
Posts aimed at the children of Putin’s close circle, such as Elizaveta Peskova, are more explosive. She also posted the no to war, along with a black background, in Instagram’s Stories feature. This is likely to have caused a lot of trouble in the government: Elizaveta is the daughter of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. He seems to have quickly contacted his daughter. Although Instagram stories with a running time of 24 hours are already limited in time, the anti-war statement disappeared much faster. According to media reports, after just one hour it could no longer be found. The post also surprised because Peskowa shows herself in other posts as a loving daughter with her father. So the war seems to be testing the relationship.
Putin’s adviser Valentin Yumashev may also have an ax to grind with his daughter Maria. She is also the granddaughter of former President Boris Yeltsin – and also announced her negative attitude to the war on Twitter.
Athletes risk careers
But even away from the children of the oligarchs, young members of the country’s elite use their reach to express protest against the war. Yumasheva’s fiancé, Fedor Smolov, is considered the first national football player in Russia to openly profess his opposition to the war on Instagram. Tennis star Andrei Rublev also openly acknowledged his position. With a pen he wrote “No war please” on a TV camera on Friday after winning a match in Dubai.
It remains to be seen what consequences threaten elite resistance. Football club Zenit St. Petersburg has already kicked out its defender Yaroslav Rakyskyj. He posted a photo of his home country’s flag on his Instagram channel on Friday. “I’m Ukrainian! Peace in Ukraine!” he demanded an end to the war.
The first oligarchs are cautiously in favor of peace
The public statements now appear to be encouraging cautious support from even the truly powerful. In an email to his employees, Mikhail Fridman was the first oligarch to identify himself as an opponent of the armed conflict. “War can never be the answer,” said Fridman, who is one of Russia’s wealthiest.
However, the Russian citizen who was born in the Ukraine does not want to take a clear side. “I feel too deeply connected to the Russian and Ukrainian people and see the current conflict as a tragedy for both.” However, he emphasizes that his statement should not be understood as political. “This crisis will cost many lives and harm two nations that have been brothers for centuries.”
“Peace is important”
After Fridman, a second Russian oligarch followed his example. Metal billionaire Oleg Deripaska also announced his opposition to the armed conflict on Telegram. “Peace is important,” he proclaimed. “Negotiations should start as soon as possible.” Even if Deripaska is unlikely to be able to change Putin’s mind on his own, there is a good chance that his statement will also be noticed by the Russian President. Deripaska is otherwise considered loyal to Putin. And it was only because of this that it was sanctioned.
For the Russian oligarchs, however, there could also be a very selfish motive behind the aversion to the fighting. Since the invasion began, the Russian stock market has plummeted. According to Bloomberg, on the first day of the war alone, the 23 richest Russians lost more than $32 billion.
Swell: twitter, Financial Times, Bloomberg