LYUBOV LUKASHENKO, believer, Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow, Russia)

Lyubov Lukashenko (b. 1995) is an Orthodox Christian believer, an ecumenist, and a parishioner of the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in Uspensky Vrazhek; she is also a civic activist in Moscow. She is a poet, a researcher, and a philologist; she performs stand-up and writes journalistic/opinion pieces. She is known for anti-war and human-rights solo pickets, often using Christian quotations and motifs in public actions; as a rule, she makes the placards for her actions herself.

After the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, she took a public anti-war stance and continued regular pickets in support of political prisoners and those facing persecution, including together with activist Oksana Osadchaya.

On 24 August 2023, in Moscow on Manezhnaya Square, Osadchaya and Lukashenko held an anti-war action: Oksana Osadchaya stood with a placard reading “1.5 years of a senseless and shameful war,” while Lyubov documented the picket in photos (the placard had been prepared by Lyubov; if she had had time, she would have stood with it herself as well).

On 19 September 2023, Lyubov Lukashenko, together with Oksana Osadchaya, held solo pickets in support of political prisoner Azat Miftakhov. On 20 September 2023, police officers came to her home (four people, one of them in uniform). Their attempt to enter the apartment was accompanied by pressure: after the activist opened the door to a courier, the officers forced their way into the apartment; a representative of the criminal investigation unit threatened her with “measures” if she continued “unlawful” activity, linking this to the 19 September picket. The police photographed placards from earlier actions and demanded that she go with them to the station, but Lyubov Lukashenko refused; they then left.

On 11 October 2023, the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow held Lyubov Lukashenko administratively liable under Article 20.2(5) of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation and Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences (so-called “discreditation”). She was sentenced to a fine of 50,000 rubles and 40 hours of compulsory work (under Article 20.2(5)). The Moscow City Court upheld the decision. In the course of the case, badges reading “No to war!” and “Freedom for political prisoners!” were seized from her; the court ordered them to be destroyed.

On 4 November 2023, near the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Lyubov Lukashenko and Oksana Osadchaya held an anti-war picket with a placard featuring photographs of destroyed churches in Ukraine and the question “God is love?” According to Lyubov, a security guard followed them and tried to force them to stop the action; after several episodes of pressure, they decided to leave.

On 10 February 2024, Lyubov Lukashenko and Oksana Osadchaya held solo pickets in support of priest Alexei Uminsky, who had been defrocked because of his anti-war position. The action took place near the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Khokhly; the placard quoted the Gospel of Matthew: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” During the picket, someone tried to tear the placard from Lyubov; she ran after the person, a scuffle ensued, and she ultimately managed to get the placard back.

On 15 August 2024 at 6:25 a.m., security forces came to her home: without ringing the intercom, they began persistently knocking and ringing the doorbell, while calls were coming from her local police officer and from unknown numbers. The visit lasted about 2.5 hours: they broke out the peephole and, via the electrical panel in the stairwell, switched off the electricity in her apartment several times. Her lawyer tried to reach the local police officer who was among those at the door; he said he “knew nothing.” In the end, it concluded with the officers leaving without explaining the reason for the visit.

On 3 July 2025, Lyubov Lukashenko’s bank accounts were frozen. According to her, this happened the day after she was released without a protocol on 2 July following an action against installing a Stalin bas-relief at Taganskaya metro station (posting up quotations from Varlam Shalamov). The formal reason given for freezing the accounts was an allegedly unpaid 10,000-ruble fine for an action on 17 February 2024 with a placard reading “Murderers,” after the killing of Alexei Navalny; however, the fine had been paid long before. The freeze on her cards was lifted in the autumn of 2025.