Iurii Ivanov, a software engineer who has been living in Ireland for five years, stood on Tuesday on O'Connell Street, Limerick, holding a poster showing Russian president Vladimir Putin behind bars.
The poster, a protest against Ivanov's native country's invasion of Ukraine, made clear his feelings: "Tribunal for the War Criminal. I am a Russian, and I demand Putin to STOP the unlawful war in Ukraine NOW!"
Ivanov (35) is so far one of the few Russians living in the State to voice his opposition to the invasion, although he argues that the majority back home do not support the war but face penalties if they speak out.
Supporting an end to the war may bring "consequences" for him should he try to return, but, nevertheless, he wants the world to know that he and others in Russia "cannot trust or love our own country any more".
Despite this, when asked what politicians can do to convince Putin to call off the invasion, given sanctions have not so far worked, Ivanov replies: “Unfortunately this answer is illegal in Russia.”
A recent Russian law threatens jail for anyone backing sanctions. “So, as I still have many relatives and friends in Russia, let me refrain from answering this question, but you will already know [the answer].
“I cannot publicly support sanctions against Russia. The penalties are much higher for everything in Russia, and for political stuff it is much higher. Sometimes you can get poisoned, as we all know; Russia is a dangerous place.”
Losing jobs
Putin’s biggest weapon is “fear”, he says. “My own great-grandad died in Stalin’s camps. If you get an order to do something, you do what they say. Otherwise they will very likely punish you, your whole family, your friends.”
Reports showing arrests of anti-war protesters in St Petersburg is “nothing new”, he says. “It’s how Putin deals with anybody that doesn’t agree with them.”
Criticism can lead to up to a month in jail, but other penalties follow, such as people losing their jobs, so people “ say nothing”.
Russians who take up arms now are being hoodwinked by “aggressive propaganda” from Putin’s media officials, who “see the world in the most insane way imaginable”.
"We really hope people here understand that Russians and Putin are different things"
Ivanov emigrated to Ireland because he could not support Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
He says many ordinary people in Russia recognise that the invasion of Ukraine is “absolutely insane” and an unjustifiable crime. “It’s not only a disaster for Ukraine, it is a disaster for Russia itself.”
Irish citizenship
He says Russians had been proud of their country because they survived many invasions but were not aggressors, but “they do not see things this way any more”.
“We tried to fight Putin for quite a while, but unfortunately we failed,” says Ivanov, who lives in Limerick with his wife, Olga, and daughter. He hopes to apply for Irish citizenship, believing that a return home is no longer possible. “I still have many friends and relatives in Russia, but I don’t know if I will be okay to keep my Russian citizenship after this.”
Expressing gratitude to Ireland for the warm welcome, Ivanov adds: “We really hope people here understand that Russians and Putin are different things. We have had two revolutions and they changed nothing – I really hope the next one will change something.”