Today’s verdicts in the “Vesna” case, announced by the Saint Petersburg City Court, destroy the last illusions: comparisons with the USSR no longer look like hysteria or exaggeration. We were not shouting about 1937 without reason. We wanted to be wrong, but now it is no longer possible to deny: 1937 has returned — seriously and irreversibly.

And this is no longer even the late USSR of the 1960s–1980s, when young people aged 18–25 were given 3–6 years in camps for free-thinking and independent views. Now they are given 6, 7, 10, 11 and 12 years in prison. Innocent young people — for their views, beliefs, political position, for the very fact of free thought. And those who testified against others — less.

This is no longer late Soviet practice. This is the Stalinist logic of the 1930s — even before the full unfolding of the Great Terror, when for a hint of disloyalty, for a circle, a conversation, a leaflet, for the mere desire to think with one’s own head, they gave 10 years. And then came 20 years and executions. And if this mechanism is not stopped, it will reach that point as well.

History teaches one thing: such systems do not become more humane. They retreat only when the one who made terror the norm disappears. This was the case with the “Doctors’ Plot,” which collapsed only after Stalin’s death. It is страшно to say this, but history has left no more comforting examples.

Below are the details confirming this terrible and extremely unpleasant comparison.

The Saint Petersburg City Court announced the verdict for six defendants in the “Vesna” case.

Anna Arkhipova was sentenced to 12 years in a general regime colony. She was charged with the largest number of accusations — under seven criminal articles: creation of an extremist community and participation in it, participation in an NGO whose activities are associated with inciting citizens to commit unlawful actions, calls for activity against state security, involvement in mass riots, rehabilitation of Nazism and dissemination of “fake” information about the army. Before her arrest, the girl lived and studied at the faculty of advertising in Novosibirsk. Due to a severe emotional condition, she periodically withdrew from the movement’s activities.

Yan Ksenzhepolsky was sentenced to 11 years in a general regime colony. Like Neustroev, he was charged under six articles. At the same time, he was charged not with participation in an association infringing on citizens’ rights, but with its creation. Yan worked in welding production and, according to the court, created an extremist community four days after receiving the status of assistant to a deputy of the Tver Legislative Assembly.

Vasily Neustroev was sentenced to 10 years in a general regime colony. Before his arrest, the Petersburg resident taught Latin and was a member of the Yabloko party. He came under criminal prosecution due to the formal, as he himself claims, election to the “federal audit commission” of the “Vesna” movement. He was charged with creating an NGO infringing on citizens’ rights, calls for activity against state security, incitement to mass riots, rehabilitation of Nazism and dissemination of “fake” information about the army.

Pavel Sinelnikov was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in a general regime colony for creating an extremist community and participating in it.

Evgeny Zateev was sentenced to 6 years and 2 months of imprisonment in a general regime colony on charges of participation in an association infringing on citizens’ rights and in an extremist community.

Valentin Khoroshenin, who testified against other defendants, was sentenced to 6 years and 2 months of imprisonment in a general regime colony.

In addition, all defendants in the “Vesna” case were banned from administering websites for seven years and participating in public associations after release.