asked in 2005,
answered by Ida Kuklina

1. How is it possible to reconcile the ideas of democracy and military service?

Democracy and military service could be reconciled by the idea of a democratic military reform which

- transforms the army from being a threat to security to people and society to the army which is protector of democracy and human rights in the country;
- stops the army being a source of social tension in the civic society in Russia.


2. What is the most disturbing story of a Russian soldier suffering from the conditions in the Russian army you have heard of recently?

I spoke at the press conference of the Right Livelihood Award’s 25th Anniversary Conference in Salzburg (8-06-05) of several disturbing cases of human rights violations in the Russian army. The practical work of the Union of Soldiers’ Mothers Committees of Russia brings forward only in Moscow about 10 000 of the most disturbing cases of human rights violations of conscripts, soldiers and their parents every year (on average).


3. Has your work become more difficult since you received the award?

No. On the contrary the Alternative Nobel Prize helped us because it confirmed our status of an internationally known organization and made the UCSMR more popular in the country and abroad.


4. Is the birth of your NGO connected with the Afghan war?

No, the movement of Soldiers’ Mothers, rather, was connected with “perestroika”. Perestroika gave the opportunity and possibilities of dialogue with the state authorities with positive results for the Soldiers’ Mothers.


5. Are you for Putin?

No, we are not “for” Putin. We are for democratic military reforms based on liquidation of the involuntary conscription institute. We cannot be “for” Putin – his name is connected with the second Chechen War and practical refusal to democratise the army.


6. What effect has the RLA had on your work?

The award helped the regional committees of Soldiers’ Mothers to be equipped better technically. Unfortunately, we lost half of the award money during the financial crisis of 1998.