Paul Goble
Staunton, June 25 – Russia does not have a proud history of taking care of cemeteries, but many had expected it would do better because of the stress Vladimir Putin has put on honoring those who died fighting in his war in Ukraine. But that has not happened. If anything, those who have died there are being treated with even less respect than those who died in other wars.
The Important Stories portal has catalogued horrors from one end of the Russian Federation to the other in the treatment of the graves of those Russians who died in Ukraine. Graves are being flooded, monuments are being defaced and coffins are even being robbed (istories.media/stories/2025/06/25/tam-gde-lezhat-nashi-parni-sploshnie-pomoiki/).
Much of the flooding appears to be the result of the rush to create cemeteries for those who have died in Ukraine, but most of the other actions reflect either official neglect or the Russian public’s lack of respect for those who died fighting for their country. Some of it, however, may be evidence of anti-war attitudes.
The Kremlin clearly feels this is a local problem and that it doesn’t need to devote attention to it given that such cases are so widely dispersed. But it may be in for a surprise when more veterans return from the front and see how the Russian government is treating those of hteir comrades who have died.
For those coming back, such lack of respect to those who gave their lives in Ukraine is likely to make them even more angry and skeptical about Putin’s promises to treat those who served not only with respect but honor. And such feelings will likely fuel more anti-regime movements in the future as the more than 500,000 Russian soldiers now in Ukraine return home.
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