In the heart of Moscow, a digital billboard flashes a call for Russians to enlist in the fight in Ukraine. Behind it, 24‑year‑old Polina Lermant hands out flyers that read “vote for peace.” Lermant is one of roughly a dozen Yabloko candidates running in the three‑day State Duma election that begins Friday.
Facing intimidation
Lermant admits she lives with genuine fear. “I’m really afraid. My parents and my husband are really worried about me. I am afraid that the repression will start,” she told Reuters. The concern is not abstract; senior Yabloko members Lev Shlosberg and Maxim Kruglov have already been sentenced to long prison terms for their anti‑war statements.
Yabloko’s limited prospects
Yabloko is the only registered party inside Russia that openly opposes the war in Ukraine. The party hopes to push for a ceasefire, a stance the Kremlin has rejected in favor of a broader settlement on its own terms. Because of the party’s stance, many of its candidates have been barred from the ballot after a Supreme Court ruling in August deemed them to have broken electoral rules.
Only a handful of Yabloko candidates remain, and none are expected to win a national seat. The governing United Russia party, which backs President Vladimir Putin, is projected to retain its dominance, while the Communists, LDPR, Just Russia and New People are also likely to keep their existing seats.
Polling shows growing appetite for peace
Lermant points to recent polling that indicates public support for peace talks has risen this year, now standing above 60% according to the Levada Center, a pollster designated a foreign agent by the authorities. This upward trend suggests a growing openness among Russians to Yabloko’s message, even as official government pollsters no longer include the party in their surveys.
Other liberal voices
Anton Malyshev, a candidate for the New People party in another Moscow district, emphasizes local concerns such as bus route changes and the idea of selling personalized number plates to raise budget revenue. While New People avoids taking a firm stance on the war, it acknowledges that most Russians desire a long‑term peace settlement.
What’s at stake
The election will be used by the Kremlin to gauge war weariness amid a strained economy marked by fuel shortages, high interest rates, a labour crunch and Western sanctions. For many voters, the choice between a party that openly calls for peace and the entrenched pro‑government forces is a test of how far public dissent can still be expressed.
Despite the risks, Lermant remains resolute. “It’s really important for us to tell people that there is the chance right now to vote for peace, to express their political position, and to say that we choose peace and a free life without fear,” she said.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
