Darya Yakovleva, leader of the Kaliningrad feminist community, spoke at an OSCE plenary session in Poland. She thanked her colleagues and people of Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia for supporting Russian citizens escaping the mobilization. She also spoke about the negative consequences of closing the Schengen zone for Russians. "7x7" talked to the activist about the event.
- How did you get to the OSCE session?
- I had registered for the Human Dimension conference. My colleagues advised me to attend it because the OSCE is an important institution regarding human rights and other often disputed issues between Russia and European countries. As an activist I wanted to talk about my region and my work there, especially about the situation with women's rights and LGBTQ+ community in Kaliningrad region.
Any activist can register for this event. This year there was no official delegation from Russia. I decided that at such a difficult time for our country, it was important that the voices of civil society in Russia, of those people who are engaged in defending human rights while staying in Russia, were heard.
- What was your message at the conference?
- First of all, I wanted some information. I wanted to understand how the OSCE mechanisms work and how we can use them in our work. Plans were only to listen to the speeches, and I had no intention to speak. But when I arrived, I found that there were very convenient formats for me to speak along with diplomats and government officials.
It was an opportunity I couldn’t waste. We had to speak on something in today’s agenda, something important for people inside Russia. My colleagues supported me, and I applied for a plenary session with a presentation on the problem of fundamental freedoms.
- What issues specifically?
- I decided that I should talk about the dangers to human rights activists, those who come out and protest on the streets, those who disagree and try to fight, and, in general, about the public resistance inside the country.
I called the audience's attention to the fact that the situation with security and democracy inside our country is directly related to the situation with collective security in all of Europe. This is not just an internal Russian issue, it's an issue for the entire international community because we’re expecting support from them for humanitarian visas and border crossing.
I also touched upon a rather controversial topic of the right to freedom of movement as I pointed out that I live in an enclave in the middle of Europe and that a total ban on border crossing is a violation of the right to freedom of movement. I wanted the European community to understand that they should find a less radical resolution to this issue.
It was important for me to speak how people react to the massive emigration from Russia. I thanked the diplomats and politicians from Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia, and Mongolia for the hospitality and humanitarian approach of their nations. I emphasized that we greatly appreciate their help to Russian refugees.
Darya Yakovleva speaking at OSCE session. Source: Darya Yakovleva's personal archive.
- How did the conference attendees respond to your presentation? Do you think you were able to get through to them?
- I think so, yes, I was able to get my thoughts across. Other Russian participants from, for example, Memorial, IAB-Info or Golos expressed similar feelings. I think we complemented each other in a great way.
I don't know if I have the right to claim that I have reached out to them, but I think that since so many people approached me saying, "I heard you," it might have an effect on the way [those nations] build their foreign policy.
- How did you feel at the time when it was your turn to speak?
- I felt very confident. I had no doubts that I should speak out. I had support from my colleagues, they had convinced me that I had to speak out as a female leader and as a voice from Russia. I am from Russia, and I am staying in Russia. I have a large community behind me and my dear team that keeps working in my country. Of course, I was emotional, my hands were trembling. It's odd, but when I got nervous, I looked at the flower centerpiece in front of me, and the flowers made me feel calm. My Russian colleagues strongly supported me, there was an amazing sense of solidarity.
- What were your thoughts when you left the session?
- I felt happy.
I saw the reaction from my friends and subscribers on social media. They said, "Thank you for representing our voice.” It seems like I was able to get my speech right and say what was important to them. I pushed aside my own individuality and personal identity for a moment, as I was trying to say what was important for a lot of people.
I think that Russian attendees have managed to speak adequately and comprehensibly about the situation in our country at this difficult time.
