Some 30,000 to 40,000 protesters held hands around Moscow's Garden Ring and thousands more gathered to say goodbye to Russia's "political winter" on Ploschad Revolutsii on Sunday afternoon in a giant flash mob to demand fair elections, one week ahead of next Sunday's presidential vote, in which Vladimir Putin is expected to win a third term in the Kremlin.
Demonstrators held white balloons and wore white ribbons, the symbols of a popular movement challenging the results of the allegedly rigged Dec. 4 State Duma elections.
Organizers of the Garden Ring flash mob, who included opposition leaders and activists from across the political spectrum, said 40,000 people took part in the gathering, dubbed "White Circle," from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. But Moscow police, who often downplay figures for opposition protests, put the number much lower, at 11,000 people.
While the Garden Ring f lash mob concluded without incident, police detained six people at a Maslenitsa celebration on Ploshchad Revolutsii that turned violent after several young Kremlin supporters clashed with oppositionists. No one was injured in the fights, and the activists were released by the end of the day.
Sergei Udaltsov, head of the Left Front opposition movement, and other opposition leaders had opted for a f lash mob after city authorities refused to allow a protest rally in Central Moscow. The square, just steps away from the Kremlin, was cordoned off by police, while up to 3,000 people showed up, according to Udaltsov.
Activists who brought an effigy of winter which was said to have only a slight resemblance to Putin were immediately detained.
But while activists chanted "Putin is a thief" and "Down with Putin," organizers insisted the event had not been meant as a political protest.
"It's Maslenitsa. We're here to celebrate. We're here to say goodbye to the political winter," State Duma deputy and opposition activist Ilya Ponomaryov told journalists on Ploshchad Revolutsii.
"Activists were detained because they brought fuel to set a effigy on fire, they thought this too dangerous in a crowd, that's understandable. But because they didn't commit any violations, they will be released after this event is over."
Arguments and skirmishes broke out between protesters and young people who said they were supporters of Putin.
"I am for Vladimir Vladimirovich," a young man who indentified himself only as Sasha, told The Moscow News. "These people were paid to come here," he said, referring to the opposition members, and added that he was there to see the Maslenitsa celebration.
"Putin loves you!" another Kremlin supporter told the crowd to roars of laughter.
Navalny among leaders
The Garden Ring flash mob was attended by oppositionist leaders like blogger Alexei Navalny, socialite and TV celebrity Ksenia Sobchak, Solidarnost leader Boris Nemtsov and others. Former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin expressed support for the protesters on Twitter, saying that he didn't feel well enough to participate.
"We're not aiming at any particular result, we just don't want to blame ourselves in the future for staying out of this now," said Mikhail, a publisher in his 50's, who stood in the chain near Kaluzhskaya Ploshchad.
Mikhail and his wife, Olga, a musician, said they were rallying for "fair elections" and "down with Putin."
Their preferred candidate, Grigory Yavlinsky, of the liberal party Yabloko, was struck off the ballot by the Central Elections Commission, but the couple said they just wanted to do what they could to influence the vote.
"Everyone should speak to their friends and family who are going to vote for Putin to tell them about how corrupt this gang is and to talk them out of voting for him," Olga said. Mikhail and Olga said they had been going to opposition rallies on Triumfalnaya Ploshchad since 2009 to defend the right to freedom of assembly.
Irina, a pensioner, said she had started going to opposition rallies after the December elections.
Many of her acquaintances went to two pro-Putin events earlier this year "for 100 rubles and a plate of porridge," Irina said. She added that the protest rallies had already had an effect, such as prompting President Dmitry Medvedev to propose some moderate reform of elections legislation.
But Irina insisted that the presidential election next week would not be fair.
Nina, a friend of Irina's, picked up a ribbon reading "Russia without Putin" from a group of young people handing them out on the street. "It's wrong," she said. "It should read just 'For Fair Russia.' But then you can't deny that all lies come from Putin, unfortunately."
Three young men standing next to Irina and Nina said they had started going to rallies after the Duma elections. On March 4, they plan to work as election monitors, they said.
Nashi flash mob
Opposition protesters were not the only ones to hold a flash mob on the Garden Ring on Sunday. Several dozen members of the Nashi pro-Kremlin youth movement organized their own event in front of the offices housing the RIA Novosti news agency and Russia Today television on Zubovsky Bulvar.
"How much did you get paid?" the Nashi supporters, wearing heart-shaped pieces of cardboard with "Putin loves everyone" inscriptions on them or placards reading "One week to Putin's victory," shouted at those wearing white ribbons.
"We have come here to show that there are not only other candidates but also Putin that helps our country," said Anna, who identified herself as a Nashi commissar. "You can't tell what will happen if someone else comes [to power]."
Anna and her friend Svetlana said they were supporting Putin because he had ushered in an era of stability.
"He's been with us for 12 years. These were the best years of my life," Svetlana said. "Before that we lived in extreme poverty."
Asked whether the country's stability and prosperity was also connected with the massive increase in the oil price over the same period, Svetlana replied: "I'm not an economist, I'm a food technician."
Some 30,000 to 40,000 protesters held hands around Moscow's Garden Ring and thousands more gathered to say goodbye to Russia's "political winter" on Ploschad Revolutsii on Sunday afternoon in a giant flash mob to demand fair elections, one week ahead of next Sunday's presidential vote, in which Vladimir Putin is expected to win a third term in the Kremlin.
Demonstrators held white balloons and wore white ribbons, the symbols of a popular movement challenging the results of the allegedly rigged Dec. 4 State Duma elections.
Organizers of the Garden Ring flash mob, who included opposition leaders and activists from across the political spectrum, said 40,000 people took part in the gathering, dubbed "White Circle," from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. But Moscow police, who often downplay figures for opposition protests, put the number much lower, at 11,000 people.
While the Garden Ring f lash mob concluded without incident, police detained six people at a Maslenitsa celebration on Ploshchad Revolutsii that turned violent after several young Kremlin supporters clashed with oppositionists. No one was injured in the fights, and the activists were released by the end of the day.
Sergei Udaltsov, head of the Left Front opposition movement, and other opposition leaders had opted for a f lash mob after city authorities refused to allow a protest rally in Central Moscow. The square, just steps away from the Kremlin, was cordoned off by police, while up to 3,000 people showed up, according to Udaltsov.
Activists who brought an effigy of winter which was said to have only a slight resemblance to Putin were immediately detained.
But while activists chanted "Putin is a thief" and "Down with Putin," organizers insisted the event had not been meant as a political protest.
"It's Maslenitsa. We're here to celebrate. We're here to say goodbye to the political winter," State Duma deputy and opposition activist Ilya Ponomaryov told journalists on Ploshchad Revolutsii.
"Activists were detained because they brought fuel to set a effigy on fire, they thought this too dangerous in a crowd, that's understandable. But because they didn't commit any violations, they will be released after this event is over."
Arguments and skirmishes broke out between protesters and young people who said they were supporters of Putin.
"I am for Vladimir Vladimirovich," a young man who indentified himself only as Sasha, told The Moscow News. "These people were paid to come here," he said, referring to the opposition members, and added that he was there to see the Maslenitsa celebration.
"Putin loves you!" another Kremlin supporter told the crowd to roars of laughter.
Navalny among leaders
The Garden Ring flash mob was attended by oppositionist leaders like blogger Alexei Navalny, socialite and TV celebrity Ksenia Sobchak, Solidarnost leader Boris Nemtsov and others. Former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin expressed support for the protesters on Twitter, saying that he didn't feel well enough to participate.
"We're not aiming at any particular result, we just don't want to blame ourselves in the future for staying out of this now," said Mikhail, a publisher in his 50's, who stood in the chain near Kaluzhskaya Ploshchad.
Mikhail and his wife, Olga, a musician, said they were rallying for "fair elections" and "down with Putin."
Their preferred candidate, Grigory Yavlinsky, of the liberal party Yabloko, was struck off the ballot by the Central Elections Commission, but the couple said they just wanted to do what they could to influence the vote.
"Everyone should speak to their friends and family who are going to vote for Putin to tell them about how corrupt this gang is and to talk them out of voting for him," Olga said. Mikhail and Olga said they had been going to opposition rallies on Triumfalnaya Ploshchad since 2009 to defend the right to freedom of assembly.
Irina, a pensioner, said she had started going to opposition rallies after the December elections.
Many of her acquaintances went to two pro-Putin events earlier this year "for 100 rubles and a plate of porridge," Irina said. She added that the protest rallies had already had an effect, such as prompting President Dmitry Medvedev to propose some moderate reform of elections legislation.
But Irina insisted that the presidential election next week would not be fair.
Nina, a friend of Irina's, picked up a ribbon reading "Russia without Putin" from a group of young people handing them out on the street. "It's wrong," she said. "It should read just 'For Fair Russia.' But then you can't deny that all lies come from Putin, unfortunately."
Three young men standing next to Irina and Nina said they had started going to rallies after the Duma elections. On March 4, they plan to work as election monitors, they said.
Nashi flash mob
Opposition protesters were not the only ones to hold a flash mob on the Garden Ring on Sunday. Several dozen members of the Nashi pro-Kremlin youth movement organized their own event in front of the offices housing the RIA Novosti news agency and Russia Today television on Zubovsky Bulvar.
"How much did you get paid?" the Nashi supporters, wearing heart-shaped pieces of cardboard with "Putin loves everyone" inscriptions on them or placards reading "One week to Putin's victory," shouted at those wearing white ribbons.
"We have come here to show that there are not only other candidates but also Putin that helps our country," said Anna, who identified herself as a Nashi commissar. "You can't tell what will happen if someone else comes [to power]."
Anna and her friend Svetlana said they were supporting Putin because he had ushered in an era of stability.
"He's been with us for 12 years. These were the best years of my life," Svetlana said. "Before that we lived in extreme poverty."
Asked whether the country's stability and prosperity was also connected with the massive increase in the oil price over the same period, Svetlana replied: "I'm not an economist, I'm a food technician."