Russians brought children whose mother was killed in Mariupol to pro-war rally in Moscow
Russian propaganda at a rally-concert in Luzhniki in support of the war against Ukraine used children from Mariupol, whose mother was killed by Russian shelling. Source: Russian publication Vazhnye Istorii [Important Stories] Details: On 22 February, Yuriy Gagarin, a Chelyabinsk "volunteer" in the Russian army with the callsign Angel performed at a pro-war rally-concert in Moscow.
He was presented as the saviour of 367 children from Mariupol. Some of the children were on stage and thanked him. In particular, 15-year-old Anya Naumenko said from the stage: "Thank you to Uncle Yuri for saving me, my sister and hundreds of thousands of children from Mariupol." Karolina, Anya's younger sister, also stood on the stage -- she covered her ears from the loud sounds.
As the publication writes, Anya Naumenko and her sister really come from Mariupol.
Ten months ago, during the occupation of the city, the girls' mother was killed by shrapnel.
Olha Naumenko with her children and Mariupol mayor Vadym Boychenko before the warVazhnye Istorii with a reference to social networks
When the war started, the Naumenkp family, -- Olha with her common-law husband Artur and children Anya, Karolina and Danya, -- first hid from the shelling in the Livoberezhnyi Cultural Centre [Former Palace of Culture of Builders - ed.], and then in the building of the Livoberezhnyi administration [district executive committee -ed.]. Olha died in early April -- according to eyewitnesses, she "ran out to get cigarettes" and was killed by shrapnel not far from the 4th hospital. She was buried right on the territory of the hospital.
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A relative of Artur, the common-law husband of the deceased mother of the children, told Vazhnye Istorii that the boy Danylo stayed with his grandmother, Karolina with her biological father, and another guardian was appointed for Anya. Another boy, Kostya Vashchyshyn, who stood on the stage in a black cap and a grey jacket, hid from the shelling in the same places as the Naumenko family with his parents: first in the Palace of Culture of Builders, then in the administration of the Livoberezhnyi district. The whole family: 37-year-old Ihor and Khrystyna and their 10-year-old son Kostya survived.
Judging by the photos in the parents' Instagram accounts, they are in Mariupol.
The publication also notes that at least three children who were brought to the stage in Luzhniki are taken from show to show with "Uncle Yura" together with their mothers.
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