A Russian woman who carried the Ukrainian team's placard at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony has revealed she did so as a small act of resistance in support of Ukraine. Anastasia Kucherova, an architect living in Milan for 14 years, was unrecognisable in a hooded silver puffer coat and dark glasses as she led the five Ukrainian athletes into the San Siro stadium.
In an interview with the Associated Press and a message to her 879 Instagram followers, Kucherova said she had chosen to carry the Ukrainian placard after choreographers asked volunteers for country preferences. She said that when walking alongside the athletes, one realises they have every human right to feel hatred towards any Russian, but that it is important to do even a small action to show them that not all people think the same way.
Kucherova said the Ukrainian athletes immediately recognised her Russian origins and addressed her in Russian. She described this as a sign of some profound connection between Russians and Ukrainians, one that could obviously live on were it not for the war.
The act came on the second anniversary of the poisoning death of dissident Alexei Navalny. Kucherova said a small amount of resistance was a way of reminding the world that the war continues, even as life elsewhere goes on.
She added that Ukrainians have no possibility to avoid these thoughts or ignore the existence of war. 'It is their reality,' she said. 'They keep loving each other, getting married or doing sports, coming to the Olympics. But all of this is happening against a devastating background.'
