Flowers for ladies in Russia, however not all wish to rejoice

Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked feminine army personnel and healthcare staff in a video message on International Women’s Day, Tass information company reported on Tuesday.

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“A special word of respect to the women who are doing their duty, serving in the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces,” Putin stated, as he praised them for his or her loyalty.

Volunteers handed out 100,000 flowers to Moscow’s feminine residents, together with bouquets of tulips to feminine drivers of buses and trams, the RIA Novosti company reported.

International Women’s Day, a public vacation in Russia, has a protracted custom in japanese European nations and throughout the previous Soviet Union, the place males typically mark the day by shopping for flowers or items for ladies.

But some ladies weren’t within the temper to rejoice nearly two weeks into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and targeted as an alternative on calling for an finish to the combating.

Maria Tunkara, who blogs about feminism and racism, posted on Instagram, “the best gift for March 8 is that we and our loved ones will no longer have to suffer because of what is happening.”

“Many of my readers have acquaintances and partners who are also now on a ‘special operation’. On both sides. And it’s scary. It shouldn’t be like this. They should all be at home,” she instructed her 108,000 followers on social media.

Russia describes its actions as a “special operation” to disarm Ukraine and unseat leaders it calls neo-Nazis.

Ukraine and its Western allies name this a baseless pretext to invade a rustic of 44 million folks.

Daria, a psychologist from Moscow, stated in an interview on social media she couldn’t rejoice whereas ladies had been being detained at anti-war rallies in Russia.

Since Feb. 24, police have detained greater than 13,000 folks in Russia-wide protests towards the invasion of Ukraine, in accordance with the unbiased protest monitoring group OVD-Info.

Despite the struggle, Olga, 18, who lives in Russian-annexed Crimea, stated she and her household can be celebrating tonight.

“I hope it will help to distract from the noise of the planes that are constantly flying over our village”, she instructed Reuters in a message on social media.