Hi, this is Katya Krasotkina. I wrote a story about harassment in Orsk’s Yunarmiya...

Hi, this is Katya Krasotkina. I wrote a story about harassment in Orsk’s Yunarmiya. For years, its head touched girls while straightening their uniforms, made vulgar jokes, and kicked one of them with his army boot when she broke free from his embrace.

The most frightening thing in this story is the silence. The girls were not believed by their own families or by the police; they were afraid to go up against an influential and respected man: an Afghan war veteran, a former gubernatorial candidate. And he felt completely untouchable. So much so that even while already under investigation, he wrote to one of the victims:

“Maybe what offended you was that I told you off in front of everyone, in front of the formation, together with [boy’s name], for the hickeys on your neck??”

I want this piece to be another reminder of what happens behind the closed doors of institutions with a strict hierarchy. And Yunarmiya is exactly that kind of structure, where harassment can easily be disguised as military discipline.

Be attentive to your loved ones. Talk to children about boundaries. And remember the nonprofit organizations that help survivors of sexualized violence: “They Will Believe You”, Sisters Center, Consortium of Women’s NGOs, Teen Chat.

And one more request. Please share this text in chats and on social media. Perhaps it will give other survivors the strength to file a report about harassment and stand up for themselves. Let the silence end.

What happened at the Orsk headquarters of the movement and why people began talking about the harassment after years of silence — read Verstka’s story on the website (with VPN):

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Verstka

“A bra is not regulation uniform.” The head of Orsk’s Yunarmiya was accused of harassing underage female cadets

The victims stayed silent about the abuse for years