As Putin’s Popularity Soars, Voices of Opposition Are Being Drowned Out
MOSCOW — There were two large rallies on Saturday in Moscow. One was a pro-government rally “in support of Crimea and against fascism,” led by a phalanx of husky men in identical crimson jackets, marching military-style in a sea of red. Some held signs reading “No Maidan in Moscow” and “Glory to Berkut,” references to Independence Square, the site of the Ukrainian protests in Kiev, and to the riot police who cracked down on the protesters.
The other was called a “March for Peace,” convened by the opposition to President Vladimir V. Putin. Holding paper doves aloft, they chanted “Putin Is Afraid of the Maidan” and a Ukrainian phrase that translates as “Putin, Get Out!” The police estimated that there were 3,000 people in this crowd, but it seemed many times larger, in the tens of thousands, filling a boulevard with bodies for many blocks. The split reaction here reflects domestic tensions. Mr. Putin, who was shaken by large antigovernment demonstrations in Moscow two years ago, is using the confrontation to consolidate the public behind his rule, tapping into the deep well of emotion about the Soviet Union’s suffering at the hands of Nazi Germany. The authorities have tried to mobilize support on federal television channels, and have muted independent voices on the Internet.
Last week, in the midst of the Crimean crisis and on the heels of the Sochi Olympics, Mr. Putin’s approval rating had increased to 71.6 percent, the highest point since he returned to the presidency in 2012, according to a poll released by the All-Russian Center for Public Opinion last week.
It is common for Russians — even liberal ones — to say that Crimea is Russian land to begin with, mistakenly transferred to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1954. But some supporters who marched on Saturday saw Mr. Putin’s agenda as a far more sweeping one, which would see Russia reclaim lands it lost in the 20th century.
“It’s not just that Crimea should join Russia — we should restore the whole Soviet Union, and I think this what Putin wants,” said Sergei Prokopenko, 40, who said he worked occasionally at a warehouse.
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