Russians in Poland protest Ukraine war outside embassy

Russians living in Poland marched through the streets of the capital, Warsaw, on Sunday to protest against Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine.

Dozens of demonstrators brandished signs and posters that read “Stop the war!”, “Putler kaput” and “Free Russia”. The crowd chanted “Solidarity is our strength” and “Russia without Putin” during the march, which ended in front of the Russian embassy, reports the Polish Press Agency (PAP).

The Russian diaspora was joined by Belarusians and Poles who wanted to show solidarity with their eastern neighbours. Some Ukrainians also attended the protest. The protesters stopped at the Ukrainian embassy along the route of the march, where they sang the Ukrainian anthem.

Some carried a white-and-blue flag, a symbol of opposition to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It represents the Russian flag from which the red strip, associated with blood and violence, has been removed.

The protest in the Polish capital was one of over 70 events held around the world on Russia Day, a Russian national holiday, reports the Wirtualna Polska news service.

Outside the embassy, protesters addressed the Russian ambassador, Sergei Andreyev, chanting: “Andreyev, you will end up in jail.”

Last month, Andreyev was doused with red paint during a protest against his visit to a Soviet war cemetery in Warsaw to mark Victory Day, a Russian holiday commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.

According to preliminary data from the 2021 census, there are 20,100 Russians in Poland. The number of Belarusians stood at 65,900, a figure that has been swelled by those escaping repression following protests against the 2020 presidential elections.

Main photo credit: Slawomir Kaminski / Agencja Wyborcza.pl

Alicja Ptak

Alicja Ptak is senior editor at Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She previously worked for Reuters.