News of activism in Russia from the Washington Post

In the Russian woods, a feminist retreat from Putin’s pressures
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/03/08/russia-women-activists-dacha/?arc404=true

MOSCOW — The well-tended brick house in Moscow’s outskirts may be among the most exclusive addresses for those exhausted from fighting President Vladimir Putin’s government.

First, you apply to be a guest — open to women and other activists within the LGBTQ community.

Then, if accepted, you receive the location through the “secret chat” function on the Telegram messaging app. It’s not to be shared with anyone.

At the start of your stay, there will be an introductory seminar in the living room, where a rainbow flag is hanging on one wall and slightly deflated pink and blue balloons are dangling from the lighting fixtures. The lone identifying marker is its official name as a pink neon sign by the fireplace: Femdacha.

Dachas are staples in Russian society: country homes varying in size and grandeur that serve as year-round family escapes on weekends. The founders of Femdacha adopted the concept to create a retreat for activists, specifically pro-feminist and LGBTQ advocates, battling increasingly harsh crackdowns by Putin’s government as it tries to crush and intimidate dissent.

...

Note that being gay as such is not illegal in Russia (a legacy of Yeltsin from right after the fall of the USSR).

But for all practical purposes, that is just a Putin talking point. The persecution continues.