In a Berlin hotel, 111 Russian exiles spent last weekend building a political party they may never get to bring home
Over the weekend, 111 Russian exiles gathered in a Berlin hotel to found the political party 'Peaceful Russia,' electing Ilya Yashin as its chairman.
Last weekend, 111 Russian exiles gathered at a Berlin hotel to hold the founding congress of the political party 'Peaceful Russia' (originally 'Peaceful Forces of Russia'). The party was initiated by opposition figure Ilya Yashin, who announced its formation in March 2026. The congress was timed to coincide with Russia Day, which commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian SFSR.
The two-day congress began with a closed session for adopting governing documents and electing leadership, followed by an open day for journalists. However, disputes over the structure and powers of governing councils delayed the schedule, so voting continued into the second day.
Yashin was elected chairman with 68 out of 111 votes, defeating Olga Podolskaya, a municipal deputy from Tula Oblast, who received 40 votes. Yashin personally invited some delegates, including Russian deserter Alexander Sterladnikov, who founded the organization 'Farewell to Arms' in France. Most delegates, however, applied on their own after Yashin's public call.
One notable delegate was Maria Ivanova, a 28-year-old Ukrainian-born woman who lived in Russia for 15 years and obtained Russian citizenship in 2022, just before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. She left for Germany under a refugee program and ran for multiple positions, eventually being elected to the Central Political Council. In her speeches, she called for debates and proposed investigating the flow of Russian money in Europe.
The congress saw several conflicts. Co-founder Maxim Reznik accused Yashin of trying to build 'a party for Moscow strongmen' and criticized the lack of democracy. Reznik suffered a heart attack and called an ambulance during the event. Earlier, Yashin's representatives had suggested Reznik needed treatment for alcohol problems.
The party's provisional logo—a purple cat on a white background—surprised many members of the organizing committee but was approved by two-thirds of voters. The party's manifesto underwent extensive debate, with about 70 amendments submitted and discussed over six hours.
Despite the internal disagreements, participants described the congress as surprisingly democratic. However, the party may never be able to operate inside Russia as long as Vladimir Putin remains in power.
