The state prosecution asked to sentence the St. Petersburg historian and administrator of the group “Ingermanlandia” on “VKontakte” Dmitry Vitushkin to 1 year and six months in a settlement colony in the case of rehabilitating Nazism, reported a correspondent of “Mediazona”* from the St. Petersburg City Court.
The criminal case was prompted by two comments that the historian left in December 2022 under a post about the Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä — a participant in the Winter War of 1939-1940 against the USSR.
“Häyhä did not kill a single soldier of his Homeland, but rather defended it from the occupiers-allies of Nazi Germany (according to the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact). He succeeded. A worthy example to follow” — he wrote in one of them. Because of this message, the historian was accused of spreading knowingly false information about the activities of the USSR during World War II.
For the comment “With your ‘Leningrad land’ go to other groups. We do not welcome the glorification of terrorism here” he was charged with disrespecting days of military glory. However, in court, prosecutor Anna Govera dropped the charges on the second episode after the historian's lawyer Anastasia Pilipenko provided documents showing that Vitushkin's grandfathers participated in the Great Patriotic War, and his grandmothers survived the blockade of Leningrad. As the defense noted, this proves that Vitushkin grew up in a family that honors the memory of victory, which shaped his anti-Nazi views.
Dmitry Vitushkin was detained on October 12, 2023, and sent to a pre-trial detention center the next day. On April 10, 2024, his pre-trial restriction was eased to a ban on certain actions. If the court sentences him to a term in a settlement colony, the six months spent under arrest will be counted as one day for two.
In court, the defense petitioned to include textbooks and scientific works in the case materials, in which scientists describe the relations between the USSR and Germany at the time of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940 as allied, but was denied.
At today's session, before the start of the debates, Judge Anna Belicheva repeatedly asked Vitushkin whom he considers occupiers and allies of the Nazis. In response, the historian said that he would henceforth be cautious when expressing opinions about both current events and events of 90 years ago, and offered “deepest apologies” to those who might have been offended by his comments. At the same time, he does not admit guilt, but acknowledges the circumstances — the comments themselves.
* Recognized in Russia as a “foreign agent”.