Antonida Smolina, a 38-year-old journalist from Veliky Ustyug, faced police scrutiny after sharing photos of herself wearing a yellow down jacket on social media. The seemingly innocuous act against a backdrop of a blue sky led to allegations of promoting Ukrainian colours, seen as undermining President Vladimir Putin's government and military.
Describing the encounter, Ms Smolina said, "A district police officer came to me and said that a certain Valery P had filed a statement against me." The accusation was that her jacket's colour evoked associations with enemy symbols, challenging the state's authority.
In her defence, Ms Smolina noted that her jacket's colour was more accurately described as "Crayola," highlighting the situation's absurdity. This incident underscores the chilling effect of stringent laws in Russia, where even clothing choices can be politically interpreted. Social media users reacted with mockery, highlighting the absurdity of linking everyday items to political subversion.
A user wrote, "Yellow is banned? The rainbow is banned? The triumph of greyness." Another quipped, "The next step is to ban the yellow sun against the blue sky. This is enemy symbolism."
Smolina voiced apprehension about the oppressive climate of political paranoia.
"The post that so offended Valery P has nothing to do with politics, but politics is killing the souls of my fellow countrymen," she wrote.
Despite the heat, she insists the jacket change was about seasons, not the complaint.
