Threw a Snowball — Charged with “Rehabilitating Nazism”

In June, Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office proposed lowering the age of criminal liability for “disrespecting” war memorials to 14. Since 2022, such cases have surged. Journalist Evgeny Gedz examined 104 incidents from 2020 to 2025 in which people threw snowballs at the Eternal Flame, roasted sausages over it, dried socks nearby, or scribbled on monuments — acts that might once have been dismissed as hooliganism or vandalism. Yet in 86% of cases, prosecutors charged defendants — including minors — under the law against the “rehabilitation of Nazism.”

How vandalism turned into the rehabilitation of Nazism

On Russia Day, June 12, an 8-year-old boy in the village in central Russia, poured water on the Eternal Flame. CCTV footage captured the child riding his bicycle to the monument, where he paused to observe the flames. After a moment, he picked up two bottles next to the memorial and carefully poured the water over the flames. Once he confirmed that the flames had been extinguished, he got back on his bike and rode away. Three days later, Alexander Bastrykin, head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, demanded that a case be opened for the rehabilitation of Nazism, citing Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code. However, the child and his family were spared punishment because the boy had developmental disabilities: he believed he was extinguishing a fire, so no charges were filed against him.

This conclusion to the story is an extremely rare exception to the trend that has developed over the past five years in Russia. Typically, criminal cases are initiated for actions involving the Eternal Flame and other monuments dedicated to military glory. For instance, on June 12, in the village of Petrovskaya in the Krasnodar region, two schoolgirls aged 13 and 14 were charged after they threw flowers, which had been torn from a flower bed, into the Eternal Flame. This act was categorised as the rehabilitation of Nazism.

After analysing news reports from the Russian media and data from the “Sova” Research Centre, we found that between January 2020 and June 2025, at least 104 cases related to inappropriate behaviour at military memorials were opened in Russia. Almost all of these cases were criminal; only five were classified as administrative. The criminal proceedings were initiated under various legal articles, including: vandalism (Article 214 of the Criminal Code), destruction or damage to military graves (Article 243), desecration of the bodies of the deceased or burial sites (Article 244), damage to cultural heritage sites (Article 243.2), and rehabilitation of nazism (Article 354.1).

Damir Gainutdinov, a lawyer and the head of the “Network Freedoms” project, explains that the choice of legal article often depends on the specific location of the incident, the nature of the action, the discretion of the investigator, and the motives they perceive. For example, if an incident occurs in a cemetery, it might be classified under the article regarding the desecration of burial sites. If the monument itself is damaged or graffiti is left on it, it might fall under vandalism. However, the most commonly applied article in recent years has been the one regarding the rehabilitation of Nazism, which includes provisions such as “desecration of symbols of Russia’s military glory” and “insulting the memory of the defenders of the Fatherland.”

This legal article was added to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in May 2014, but has only been enforced in relation to actions near military memorials since 2020. For instance, in the autumn of 2021, a case involving a homeless man in Miass who attempted to dry his socks on the Eternal Flame generated significant public attention. Initially, a criminal case was filed against him under the vandalism statute. When Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Investigative Committee, took an interest in a particular case, the charge was reclassified as “rehabilitation of Nazism,” despite the individual being mentally ill. By court order, he was sent for treatment to a psychoneurological clinic.

Of the 104 cases reported in the media over the years under Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the most common offence involved people lighting cigarettes from the Eternal Flame, with at least 13 such incidents. Following that, there were cases where individuals threw snowballs, flowers, or wreaths into the flame, poured lemonade or alcohol on it, boiled coffee or fried sausages nearby, or even urinated on the flame or danced on the pedestal. This past spring, a case of rehabilitation of Nazism was even initiated for a traffic violation in Irkutsk, where a drunk driver without a license drove at high speed along a pedestrian walkway near the Eternal Flame, an area where motor vehicle traffic is prohibited.

There were also several instances where the Eternal Flame was desecrated in memorial areas unrelated to the events of the Great Patriotic War (WWII). For example, some defendants were tried for “rehabilitating Nazism” at a memorial dedicated to those who died during the Civil War. Damir Gainutdinov explains that Part 3 of this Article includes a broad list of commemorative dates related to various military events of significance, spanning from the Battle of Kulikovo to Alexander Nevsky’s victory on Lake Peipsi.

“Initially, the article on ‘Rehabilitation of Nazism’ held individuals accountable for denying the Holocaust. However, over time, many other actions were incorporated into this article, even though the title remained unchanged. This can be misleading, as the actions [for which a person is prosecuted] are not necessarily related to Nazism or WWII. 

Gainutdinov points out that when it comes to actions like lighting a cigarette from the Eternal Flame, proving intent to desecrate a symbol of military glory is crucial for initiating proceedings under Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. If intent cannot be demonstrated, the case must be handled under a different article of law. However, this vital aspect is often overlooked.

“In the materials I have reviewed, there is virtually no evidence of intent. Therefore, this is solely an initiative of the investigation, which lacks support and is then accepted by the courts as fact,” the lawyer explains.

Like an Avalanche 

Following 2022, there was a notable increase in criminal cases related to actions near military monuments. Specifically, open sources recorded two such cases in 2020 and three in 2021. However, this number rose to 17 cases in 2022 and 19 in 2023, reaching a total of 37 cases by 2024. By mid-2025, there had already been 21 additional cases. Out of the 99 criminal cases reported in the media and in materials from “Sova”, 90 were initiated under the charge of rehabilitating Nazism.

In January 2022, journalist Ksenia Sobchak highlighted the growing trend of criminal charges for inappropriate behaviour at the Eternal Flame. She stated, “It seems that this article is our new Article 282, under which anyone can be arrested for anything and equated with Nazis. We might think that these are just stupid and uneducated people, but no, they are strategic opponents. They have swastikas under their shirts, marches ringing in their heads, and at night they dream of Hitler’s resurrection. The whole country is full of hidden enemies and interventionists who want to discredit the feat of the Soviet people. What can we call this? What does this say about our times?”

Damir Gainutdinov believes that this trend is likely to continue unless there is a shift, similar to the change in enforcement of Article 282 in 2019. He remarked, “Unless there is some kind of reversal, as was the case with Article 282 in 2019. If Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] says, ‘Enough of scaring mischievous teenagers,’ then there will probably be some kind of reversal.”

Information regarding the verdicts in 43 out of the 104 mentioned cases could not be located, either because the courts did not publish them, the cases are still pending, or there is a lack of data on whether they have been brought to court. In 18 cases, defendants received actual prison sentences ranging from 7 months to 4 years. Additionally, two individuals were arrested under administrative proceedings. In 15 instances, the punishment was compulsory labor, while four cases resulted in compulsory treatment. Nine cases involved fines, and there were two cases of expulsion for migrants. Lastly, five cases resulted in suspended sentences.

In late April 2025, 38-year-old Natalya K. from the seaside village of Zavodskoye received a suspended sentence after painting the letter “Z” and graffiti on a monument dedicated to local soldiers who died between 1941 and 1945. Notably, she had also shared messages on social media praising Stalin and soliciting donations for the “special military operation.” 

When Vyacheslav Kwon, the head of the Artyomovsky urban district in Primorsky Krai, addressed this case on his Telegram channel, he failed to mention that a paint bucket had been left on the street by workers. According to lawyer Oleg Starinets, Natalya had been drinking and, while walking past the monument, saw the paint and decided to draw something — most likely a simple zigzag rather than the letter “Z.” Starinets emphasized that she “did not intend to insult or humiliate anyone and didn’t go home for the paint, and did not purchase it specifically.” 

Starinets further revealed that Natalya has faced significant challenges throughout her life. She does not work, has a second-degree disability, and is currently without a husband. “She does not take care of her children; this responsibility lies with their grandmother,” says the lawyer.  

Natalya was charged under Article 243.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which pertains to the damage of cultural heritage objects. Considering her remorse, lack of a prior criminal record, and her voluntary surrender to authorities, the court ultimately sentenced her to a suspended sentence.

“He Can Not Distinguish Hitler from Himmler”

In 2022, a landmark sentence was handed down for desecrating a military memorial in Stavropol Krai. In March of that year, 17-year-old Ivan Lekarev, 19-year-old Arsen Lekarev, and 21-year-old Andrei Enenko approached the “Eternal Glory” monument in Nevinnomyssk to warm their hands by the Eternal Flame. The older Lekarev brothers lit their cigarettes from the flame, began throwing flowers that were lying at the memorial into it, and then urinated on the fire. Their actions were captured on CCTV, and a video of the incident was posted on social media. A local resident saw the video in a chat group and reported it to the police, leading to their detention and the opening of a criminal case for vandalism.

During questioning, the defendants admitted their guilt. The court ruling states that they acted deliberately and were aware of the monument’s significance. Lawyer Zinaida Pogosova quoted from the case file, emphasizing that “they were informed about the history of the memorial through school lessons, family discussions, and their status as residents of Nevinnomyssk.”

Subsequently, the case was taken over by the Stavropol prosecutor’s office, which escalated the charges to include the rehabilitation of Nazism under Article 354.1.4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, citing actions committed in prior conspiracy. Pogosova argued that the case was politically motivated and claimed that the charge had been altered following media hype surrounding the “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Other lawyers involved attempted to persuade the court to revert the charges back to vandalism, asserting that the defendants did not fully understand the implications of their actions due to their limited education. Pogosova noted that proving the intent to rehabilitate Nazism was crucial, and her client Andrei Enenko lacked that understanding: “He can not distinguish Hitler from Himmler. He can not differentiate between Nazism and fascism. He has no awareness of what the Nuremberg trials were.”

Pogosova explained that Andrei is from the local Roma community and, at 21, he “spoke illiterately,” could barely read, and was unaware of the severity of his actions. She added, “To provide context: the defendant’s mother can not read. When I asked her, ‘Have you read your interrogation?’ she replied, ‘No, I haven’t read it; I can’t read.’”

She highlighted that the “Eternal Glory” monument was originally not connected with WWII. Established in 1967 to mark the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution, the obelisk initially marked the dates “1917-1967”. It was only in the early 2000s that these dates were changed to “1941–1945” and the Order of WWII was added to the monument. Pogosova recalled four prior incidents where individuals had vandalized the obelisk, and such cases were typically pursued under the article concerning the rehabilitation of Nazism.

By August 2022, Ivan Lekarev was sentenced to one year in a juvenile detention center, Arsen Lekarev was sent to a penal colony for two years, and Andrei Enenko was given a sentence of two and a half years. The argument that there was no intent to desecrate the Eternal Flame was disregarded by the court.

Pogosova filed an appeal but was unsuccessful in having the sentence reviewed. Although she planned to take the case to the Court of Cassation, Andrei himself expressed a desire to stop pursuing it. “When I contacted Andrei, I discovered that they wanted to reduce his sentence. He had only about nine months left to serve, and his wife was pregnant. He feared that if he continued to fight, his parole might be jeopardized.”

It remains unclear if Andrei was able to secure early release, as the lawyer lost contact with him after he changed his SIM card. We reached Arsen Lekarev via social media, but he declined to discuss the matter, stating that everything was already detailed in the case file.

Criminal Cases for Throwing Snowballs 

Following the incident in Nevinnomyssk, media reports revealed eight additional cases of desecration of military memorials in Stavropol Krai. Similar cases have emerged in other regions, with Leningrad Oblast reporting at least six such incidents. The most recent case in Kirishi concluded with a suspended sentence.

In June 2024, three individuals — students Georgy Petrov and Ivan Stepanov from Kirishi Polytechnic College, along with a teenage girl — were found roasting sausages on the Eternal Flame, a site commemorating Soviet soldiers who died between 1941 and 1945. Authorities charged the students with rehabilitating Nazism. The two young men, both legal adults, pleaded guilty and requested that their case be handled under a special procedure. After the incident, they received character references indicating positive behaviour. Petrov wrote a research paper on memorials, made a donation to war veterans’ funds, and volunteered, while Stepanov took on summer work to support his mother, improved his academic performance, and “proved himself in practice”. 

Considering their confession, remorse, youth, positive character references, and clean criminal records, both Petrov and Stepanov received one-year suspended sentences with a two-year probation period, as well as a six-month ban on internet activity.

While Petrov and Stepanov were 18 years old at the time of the incident, many cases of memorial desecration are committed by children and teenagers. According to the Ministry of Justice, approximately 370 cases of desecration of military memorials have been reported in Russia since 2022, mostly involving minors. Since legal responsibility for the rehabilitation of Nazism begins at age 16, many cases are dismissed due to the lack of criminal liability for younger offenders. The most authorities can do is hold parents administratively accountable for their children’s actions and register minors with the juvenile affairs commission.

In Kingisepp, Leningrad Oblast, primary school pupils extinguished the Eternal Flame three times during the past winter and March. CCTV footage captured them climbing onto the pedestal, throwing snowballs at the flames, and fleeing when the fire went out.

The first incident occurred in December 2024. The children involved, aged 10 and 11, attend a private “School of Orthodox Culture.” Attempts to contact their parents were unsuccessful, but local parishioners and church staff, including the rector who is also the director of the Orthodox school, stated they had not heard anything about the incidents. A criminal case has been initiated for the rehabilitation of Nazism.

After the third incident, Elena Rumyantseva, chair of the Kingisepp District Education Committee, urged parents to discuss proper conduct at historical sites with their children. She emphasized that desecration of memorials and the Eternal Flame is punishable under vandalism laws. The outcomes of the three criminal cases remain unclear, as the Investigative Committee has not provided further updates, aside from a statement indicating Bastrykin’s “interest in the matter”.

“They should all be deported.”

Stories like what happened in Kingisepp are quickly forgotten or ignored. But when migrant children misbehave near war memorials, officials and deputies waste no time drawing attention to it.

In December 2023, CCTV cameras in St. Petersburg’s Krasnoselsky district captured three teenagers walking near a memorial. One of them put out the Eternal Flame by throwing snowballs at it. The next day, police detained two brothers, ages 10 and 14, who turned out to be citizens of Uzbekistan. A court fined their parents 5,000 rubles and ordered both families expelled from Russia, after it was revealed they had failed to register with the migration authorities.

“It’s strange that their parents didn’t think to explain the laws and values of the country they had moved to. In turn, our country should not be expected to support or serve people who show no respect for the traditions, customs, and above all the laws of the Russian Federation,” wrote State Duma deputy — and now acting governor of the Kursk region — Alexander Khinshtein on his Telegram channel.

Residents of Krasnoye Selo, who still recall the incident with resentment, echoed that sentiment. One elderly woman told us, “If migrants behave like this, they should all be deported.” Another local noted, however, that Russians in similar cases would face nothing more than a fine.

Meanwhile, Russia is moving to expand Article 243.4 of the Criminal Code, which punishes the destruction or damage of war memorials. On June 11, the State Duma passed the first reading of an amendment that would add a new category: “desecration.” “In other words, this will create room for maneuvering and bargaining — both for the investigation or prosecution, and for the defense,” commented lawyer Damir Gainutdinov.

According to Galina Arapova, director of the Media Rights Protection Centre, monuments to those killed in the war in Ukraine will likely also fall under this law. That means criminal liability for actions at the Eternal Flame also doubles as a warning: “To prevent people from expressing their disagreement with the ‘special military operation’ through deeds rather than words. Speech is already covered — with laws against so-called ‘military fakes’ and ‘discrediting’ the army. But until now, there has been no punishment for disagreement through actions. This changes that. It adds a more explicitly ideological dimension to what’s happening, fully in line with the wider political trend — including programs like ‘Conversations about Important Things,’ and so on.