Photo: VK / ER_51
A regional branch of the ruling United Russia party has scrambled to avoid more negative press coverage after it presented the mother of a Russian soldier who died fighting in Ukraine with a meat grinder in honour of International Women’s Day on 8 March.
United Russia itself announced the gift on Thursday, which was presented to an unnamed woman in the town of Polyarnye Zori, in Russia’s northern Murmansk region, as part of the party’s Flowers for Heroes’ Mothers campaign, which is being held across Russia.
“Our duty is to support the mothers of our fallen heroes with actions instead of words. We want to stand by these strong women, share their feelings, and provide help at a difficult moment,” the United Russia statement read.
After the stunt received some less-than-flattering media attention, the regional branch of the party rapidly posted a video in which the woman expressed her gratitude.
“I thank United Russia for the gifts — a beautiful bouquet of flowers and … the meat grinder, which I actually needed … and asked for,” the unnamed mother of the dead soldier said.
“The meat grinder was not standard, but the woman asked for it, and obviously we couldn’t refuse,” said Maxim Chengaev, the head of United Russia in Polyarnye Zori. “Now we see that people are trying to twist things. We urge people not to support such inhumane and provocative views,” Chengaev said.
