Time - USA (2022-05-09)

40

When Words are so closely

controlled that it’s a crime to call a war a

war, what drives someone to speak out?

The Russian protesters seen here

cite a variety of things. One is a sense of

moral responsibility: to fight tyranny

and to put an end to a conflict that

is claiming the lives of Ukrainian

civilians. For some, it’s anger—rage

that such crimes are being carried out

in the name of the Russian people,

and that authorities have detained

thousands of Russians for daring to

protest.

Undergirding all these feelings,

however, is an enduring hope: a dream

of a better, freer Russia, and an end to

the violence in Ukraine.

“Hope gives you the strength to

act,” says Mary Gelman, the Russian

photo journalist who made these por-

traits. “If you think that everything is

doomed and you are nothing, you be-

come a very comfortable instrument

for the regime.”

Katya, who lost her job at Mos-

cow cinemas after signing a letter pro-

testing the invasion, takes heart from

other dissidents. “I see a lot of like-

minded people who inspire me, and I

am not so afraid with them here,” she

says. “We have us, and we haven’t been

broken. There are more of us who are

against this, but the power wants to

convince us it’s the opposite.”

Hope is also an important motivator

for Gelman herself, who has chosen to

continue working as a photojournalist

despite considerable risks. Even before

the invasion of Ukraine, journalists

who contradicted the government-

sponsored narrative in Russia faced

harassment, imprisonment, and even

death. Gelman sees it as her duty

to show different points of view—

something that’s even more essential in

a time of censorship and propaganda,

she says.

“Loving your motherland does not

mean supporting the power and always

agreeing with them,” Gelman explains.

“It’s wanting a better life for your

people, saying to the authorities, ‘No’

or ‘You’re wrong,’ and trying to change

something if needed. It’s hard to do

it in this authoritarian regime, but

necessary.” —Tara laW

SPECIAL REPORT

Portraits

of the

Unbowed

Russians protest the

war in Ukraine despite

beatings, jail, and loss

of livelihood

Photographs and interviews

by Mary Gelman