“I have nothing to fear”: The survivor of the Leningrad blockade is running for governor of St. Petersburg

83-year-old Lyudmila Vasilyeva looks back on a long history of activism.

Vasilyeva, a survivor of the Leningrad siege and a pensioner, is now a candidate for governor of Russia’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg, to challenge incumbent Alexander Beglov, who running from the ruling, pro-Kremlin United Russia party.

She is calling for an end to the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine and is campaigning under the slogan “Saint Petersburg – the city of peace”.

As a self-nominated candidate must prove that she has the support of 2% of the inhabitants of St. Petersburg – almost 80,000 signatures – by Friday. In addition, according to the law, needs the support of 155 local deputies from at least 80 municipal districts of St. Petersburg.

Although they still far from a meeting Vasilyeva, who meets the criteria to run for governor, told the Moscow Times that her main goal was to have a platform where she could express her opinions and advocate for peace.

As an experienced protester, Vasilyeva took to the streets of her hometown of St. Petersburg on the day of the death of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in February and was briefly imprisoned three times for protests in the first days of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Moscow Times spoke to Vasilyeva about her political ambitions and hopes for the country.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

MT: Why are you running for governor?

LV: I am a native of St. Petersburg. I was born in this city two months before the start of the Great Patriotic War and have lived here all my life. This is my city. It was important for me to be heard here. My main slogan is “Stop the war.” I have said it many times, but now I have decided to run for office to proclaim this slogan loudly so that people understand why I am against the war. This is my goal.

I also want young people to come to power – they are our future. My team consists mainly of young people. I want energetic young people to come to power who look to the future. The people in my team are true citizens of St. Petersburg and patriots of their country. They are brave people.

MT: What is it like to start a political career in Russia in 2024?

LV: I am not afraid for myself. But I am worried about the children, about our future. Like a mother, I want to hug them all and protect them from this horror that is happening in our country. My family, especially my son Denis, is of course very worried about me. But at my age, I have nothing to fear.

People on the street don’t recognize me yet. But when they come (to sign documents supporting my candidacy), they all thank me and express their gratitude for giving them the opportunity to show that not everyone in Russia supports the war. These are very brave people who have overcome their fears to come here and say it openly.

We have already held meetings with voters. For example, survivors of the blockade – wonderful women, free-spirited and well-groomed, defying their age – have come to our headquarters. We are resilient, hardened by the siege.

I believe that it is important to talk to everyone, to listen to everyone’s opinion and to explain mine. When I take part in protests, I always talk to the police. By the way, they often listen to my position. Even now, I believe that dialogue with everyone is essential. We still have to live together. We cannot get away from each other – we live in the same country and will continue to communicate with each other. I believe that we must try to eradicate the hatred that reigns in society today.

MT: What challenges did you face as a self-nominated candidate?

LV: It was difficult to find a place for our campaign headquarters. Many refused to rent premises when they learned that it was an election campaign, saying: “You understand the situation, don’t you?” The registration process with the Election Commission was also unpleasant. They tried to find reasons to reject us, for example, they twice refused to appoint our finance manager on formal grounds.

The state media are not covering our election campaign. However, we are the only ones actively campaigning. I don’t see anyone except (current governor Alexander) Beglov, who is on TV from morning to night. We tried several times to get coverage on our local TV channels and newspapers, but they were silent.

Collecting signatures and securing the support of local representatives is a difficult task. I feel like I’m in a madhouse. No rest, no sleep. This morning there were phone calls, then interviews, and later we will go to the campaign headquarters. In addition to St. Petersburg, we are collecting signatures abroad, in Europe. But I feel like a steadfast tin soldier.

MT: What are your plans for the future?

LV: The plan is not to stop. Even if we cannot take part in the election campaign (for the mayor of St. Petersburg), we will come up with something. Of course, this format (gubernatorial elections) will be closed for us if we do not collect enough signatures. But we can still continue some kind of action in support of peace, because the slogan we started with is the right one. Our slogan is “St. Petersburg – the city of peace.” This slogan is not necessarily tied to the election campaign. In addition, local elections are coming up in the city soon, so we can influence them.

We certainly do not intend to stop. I want our country to be a place where people can live comfortably, where human rights are protected, where the air is clean, where the land is not polluted, where the forests are not burning. I want Russia to be a country where people live well.

The people who have already supported me are people of all ages, from 18 to the oldest man at 88. What unites them is that they want to end the war and that they have the courage to show this.

And I thank them all.