Eternal Memory and Glory to the Fallen Heroes!

The following reports have been published by the Колективи Солідарності and Соціальний рух in Ukraine on the recent loss of a number of volunteer fighters in the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the battle for Bakhmut in the Donbas region.    

This is a text that is hard for us to write. On April 19, a battle took place in the outskirts of Bakhmut, in which three of our comrades were killed. All of them were international volunteers. We will be sure to tell about each of them. But at this point, the death of one of them – our close friend, convinced anarchist dmitry petrova, aka illya lesij.

Dmitry was a candidate of historical sciences and anthropologist. He actively participated in all protest events in Russia, including protests on bog square. And in 2014 supported Maidan.

In 2017, Dmitry went to Kurdistan, where he spent six months exploring the Kurdish experience of self-organization and the struggle for a free society. The result was a book and lectures about Rozhava, which he continued even from the front in Donbas (and what Ukrainian media recorded in the fejki https://bit.ly/3netmiN ).

Realizing that it was dangerous to stay in Russia, Dmitry moved to Kyiv and with the start of a full-scale war, he joined the ranks of the Territorial Defense. He also became one of the founders of anti-authoritarian fighters association “Resistance Committee” and contributed to the creation of the volunteer movement we are doing today. Gave numerous interviews where he urged leftists and anarchists from all over the world to support the fight of the Ukrainian people against the aggressor.

Leshem has always been alien to any kind of nationalism – all his actions were driven solely by anti-authoritarian values and ideals. And his personal qualities instantly fell in love with even people far from anarchism. Recently, Leshey formed a new anti-authoritarian unit, so this is a great loss not only for us personally – a blow to our movement.

Today everyone remembers Dmitry. He truly cannot be forgotten. But we also urge not to forget his legacy. The ideas he believed in https://t.me/boakom/109. Never bend to mainstream and always side with the oppressed against the oppressors.

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This text is difficult for us to write. On April 19, there was a battle on the outskirts of Bakhmut where three of our comrades were killed. All of them were international volunteers. We will definitely tell about each of them. But at the moment the publicly known fact is the death of one of them, our close friend and convinced anarchist Dmytro Petrov, also known as Illia Leshyi.

Dmytro had a PhD in History and was an anthropologist. He was active in all protest events in Russia, particularly the protest on Bolotnaya Square. And in 2014, he supported the Maidan.

In 2017, Dmytro went to Kurdistan, where he spent half a year researching the Kurdish experience of self-organization and the struggle for free society. The result was a book and lectures on Rojava, which he continued to support even from the frontline in Donbas (and which was deemed “fake news” https://bit.ly/3netmiN).

Dmytro realized that it was dangerous to stay in Russia, so he moved to Kyiv, and when the full-scale war began, he and other anarchists joined the Territorial Defense forces. He also became one of the founders of the Resistance Committee, an association of anti-authoritarian fighters, and participated in the creation of the volunteer movement which we are working on today. He gave many interviews in which he called on the left and anarchists from all over the world to support the Ukrainian people’s fight against the aggressor.

Leshyi always rejected any kind of nationalism, he based his actions solely on anti-authoritarian values and ideals. And his personal qualities immediately made everyone fall in love with him, even those who had nothing to do with anarchism. Lately Leshyi was forming a new anti-authoritarian unit, so it is a serious loss not just for us personally, it is a blow to our movement.

Today everyone is remembering Dmytro. He is really impossible to forget. But we also encourage you not to forget his legacy. The ideas he believed in https://t.me/boakom/109. Never give in to the mainstream and always be on the side of the oppressed against the oppressors.

On April 19, 2023, Russian anarchist, our comrade Dmitry Petrov, also known as Ilya Leshy, was killed in the battles under Bakhmut.

Dmitry has participated in the Russian anarchist movement since the 2000 s – defended the environment, fought for workers’ rights, against ultra-right and developers. He took part in the protests on Bolotnaya, Ukrainian Maidan and Belarusian performances in 2020.

At the same time, he was a scholar and explorer of the Middle East and Africa active in solidarity with the Kurds of Rozhava, personally visited Kurdistan and was the author and co-author of a number of books and articles about the experience of the revolutionary self-organization there.

Due to the threat of arrest in Russia, a few years ago Dmitry moved to Ukraine. On the first day of a full-scale invasion, he immediately joined the Resistance Committee — attempts to create an anti-authoritarian unit territorial defense forces He with weapons in his hands fought against Russian aggressors, took part in the battles under svatovim and kremínno а.

Despite his service, he continued his activism and participated in various solidarity initiatives, including our campaign to write off Ukraine’s foreign debt.

Activists of “Social Movement” remember lešogo as a very sincere, friendly, honest and humble man. He was a true internationalist and revolutionary who was incredibly alien to xenophobia and chauvinism. By his example and sacrifice he sanctified the ideals to which he dedicated his life.

Dmitry was also a co-founder of the Anarcho-Communists Combat Organization (BOAC) – a network that has been engaged in arson of military committees and railroad sabotage in Russia since the beginning of the invasion. It was them he sent for publication a farewell letter https://t.me/boakom/109 in case he dies on the front.

“As an anarchist, revolutionary and Russian, I considered it necessary to take part in the armed resistance that the Ukrainian people do to Putin’s occupiers. I did it for the sake of justice, protection of Ukrainian society and liberation of my country, Russia, from oppression. For the sake of all the people whom the disgusting totalitarian system created in Russia and Belarus deprives them of dignity and the opportunity to breathe freely “.

Eternal memory, and may the force be with you.