The Russian army is infamous: Repeatedly, systematic abuses, violence or mistreatments take place. One of these cruel practices, where young soldiers are being harassed, abused or even murdered by their officers, is called “Dedovshchina”, that is to say grandfatherism or the authority of grandfathers.
A growing number of women in Russia succeeds to revolt against the totalitarian role of the Russian army by opposing the armed forces. Since 1991, the nongovernmental organization “Soldiers’ Mothers of St. Petersburg” is actively engaged in advocating the improvement and assertion of the soldiers’ rights and the prosecution of the offenders. The mothers, grandmothers and sisters of Russian soldiers campaign against the degrading conditions within the army and demand more transparency about the whereabouts of their family members and the abidance of human rights. Their work thus combines pacifistic and humanitarian engagement under the conditions of an authoritarian state.
For her tireless efforts, Ella Mikhaylovna Polyakova, head of the human rights watch organisation “Soldiers’ Mothers of St. Petersburg”, was awarded the Hessian Peace Prize of the Albert Osswald Foundation.
In HSFK-Standpunkt 6/2015 "Die Verteidigerin der Menschenrechte", the award ceremony on 17th July 2015 in the music hall of the Hessian State Parliament is documented.
Read the laudatory speech of Dr. h. c. Gernot Erler, coordinator for Intersocietal Cooperation with Russia, Central Asia and the Eastern Partnership Countries, given by Karl Starzacher, head of the board of trustees of the Hessian Peace Prize, the welcoming speeches by Hessian Prime Minister Volker Bouffier and President of the Hessian State Parliament Norbert Kartmann, as well as the acceptance speech of the awardee.
This HSFK-Standpunkt is available as a free PDF download (in German).