Location: Russia
Event: According to multiple media sources, demonstrations throughout Russia in support of an opposition activist are planned for Wednesday, April 21, at approximately 1900 hours local time. These demonstrations are unauthorized. The locations of the demonstrations may change, and streets and metro stations may be closed in the surrounding areas. Given the likely substantial police presence and possible dispersal and arrests of demonstrators, U.S. citizens should avoid these demonstrations and any demonstration-related activities.
Given the possibility of crowds, you should be aware of guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, which includes avoiding large crowds, distancing yourself from others, and wearing cloth face coverings in public settings.
Avoid the following locations where demonstrators plan to gather:
Moscow: Manezhnaya Square
St. Petersburg: Palace Square
Vladivostok: Revolution Fighters Square
Yekaterinburg: Weiner and Popov streets
Chelyabinsk: Revolution Square
Irkutsk: square near the Gray House
Kazan: Millennium Square
Khabarovsk: Lenin Square
Krasnodar: square in front of the administration of the Krasnodar Territory
Krasnoyarsk: Revolution Square
Lipetsk: Victory Square
Novosibirsk: Lenin Square
Omsk: Cathedral Square
Perm: the Esplanade
Rostov on Don: the government public library
Sochi: Flag Square
Ulan Ude: Theatre Square
Volgograd: Square of the Fallen Fighters
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Lenin Square
Additional demonstrations are planned in the cities of Abakan, Abinsk, Almetyevsk, Arkhangelsk, Arzamas, Astrakhan, Balakovo, Barnaul, Belgorod, Berezniki, Biysk, Bratsk, Bryansk, Cheboksary, Cherepovets, Chernogolovka, Chita, Dzerzhinsk, Elektrostal, Gatchina, Ivanovo, Izhevsk, Kaliningrad, Kaluga, Kemerovo, Kineshma, Kirov, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Korolev, Kostroma, Kyshtym, Kurgan, Magadan, Murmansk, Neftekamsk, Niznhy Novgorod, Norilsk, Novorossiysk, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Orenburg, Orsk, Oryol, Penza, Perm, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Petrozavodsk, Podolsk, Pskov, Pyatigorsk, Ryazan, Samara, Saratov, Severomorsk, Smolensk, Sterlitamak, Syktyvkar, Tambov, Tchaikovsky, Tolyatti, Tomsk, Tuapse, Tula, Tver, Tyumen, Ufa, Ukhta, Ulan-Ude, Ulyanovsk, Ust-Kut, Ust-Ilimsk, Velikiy Novgorod, Vladimir, Vologda, Voronezh, Vorkuta, Vyazma, Yakutsk, Yaroslavl, Yeisk, Zhukovsky.
There is the potential for related, unauthorized demonstrations in other Russian cities. The Embassy may not always be aware of the exact time and place of these events in advance.
Actions to Take:
- Monitor local media for updates.
- Avoid the area.
- Avoid crowds.
- Avoid demonstrations.
- Notify friends and family of your safety.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Stay alert in locations frequented by tourists/Westerners.
- Review your personal security plans.
- Carry proper identification, including a U.S. passport with a current Russian visa.
Assistance:
U.S. Embassy Moscow, Russia
- +(7) (495) 728-5577
- After hours – +(7) (495) 728-5000
- moscowacs@state.gov
- Website – U.S. Embassy Moscow
U.S. Consular Agency Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Lada Hotel, Suite 210
154 Komsomolskaya Street
- +7-4242-42-49-17 (Mondays and Thursdays, 0900-1300)
- After hours – +7-914-704-07 62
- Sakh.agency@confidesk.com
State Department – Consular Affairs
- 888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444
Russia Country Information
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