“Guys need to be supported”: how Russia reacted to the inclusion of Usik and Lomachenko in the Peacemaker base

Ukrainian boxers Alexander Usik and Vasily Lomachenko found themselves in an ambiguous situation due to filming in the Russian film “Hello, brother, Christ is Risen!”. They were included in the database of the Peacemaker website, the authors of which accused the absolute world champion in the first heavyweight and the world lightweight champion according to the WBA, WBC and WBO versions of "sided with the traitors of Ukraine."

According to the ex-holder of the heavyweight belt according to WBA Nikolay Valuev, the site “Peacemaker” should not be taken seriously.

“The principle of getting there is incomprehensible, no one explains what this threatens. I don’t know how important this is for the citizens of Ukraine and Usyk and Lomachenko themselves, but for the rest it’s just a site, nothing more. It does not matter. I think that the boxers themselves will not seriously take what happened, unless this interferes with their stay at home, ”Valuev suggested in a conversation with RT.

In turn, the State Duma deputy, president of the Russian Curling Federation Dmitry Svishchev agreed with the opinion of his colleague and called the Ukrainian database “doubtful”. He expressed admiration for the actions of Usik and Lomachenko, once again not afraid to express their position.

“Before such guys who are not afraid of aggression from the nationalist movements of Ukraine, you can only take off your hat. For example, Usyk has repeatedly advocated improving relations between our countries and between fraternal peoples. Therefore, these boxers need only be enthusiastic. And the film became a kind of logical continuation of their activities, ”Svishchev commented on the incident.

He noted the significance of the actions of Usik and Lomachenko, which by their own example show how to relate to the tense relations between Russia and Ukraine.

“I believe that the guys need to be supported, because relations between countries should be built on their example. It is important that such statements come from great athletes who have earned worldwide recognition for their success. They were born back in the days when we were a single country, so now they are promoting rapprochement of fraternal peoples. In my opinion, no matter what happens between us, this is temporary and the situation normalizes. In the meantime, Usik and Lomachenko can count on the fact that they will always have a huge number of friends both in Ukraine and in Russia, ”Svishchev added.

Perplexity about the incident was expressed by Olympic champion in speed skating Svetlana Zhurova. According to her, athletes have a different perception of the political situation, so it’s wrong to blame them for their statements. 

“Athletes are people of the world, and dividing into nationalities is unacceptable for them, this is even recorded in the Olympic Charter. We have a completely different perception. This is especially developed among martial arts representatives. They respect not only their colleagues in the national teams, but also rivals. I think the guys had exactly that in mind. Therefore, the political situation did not change their attitude towards Russia. From this point of view, their inclusion in the Peacemaker’s base is completely wrong, ”Zhurova said.

A specific proposal was made by the Secretary General of the Boxing Federation of Russia (FBI) Umar Kremlev. He expressed confidence that the majority of Ukrainians support renowned boxers, and those who “carry out errands for dollars” are unhappy with their participation in the film. At the same time, the functionary expressed his willingness to help boxers obtain Russian citizenship, if necessary.

“We are proud of such athletes. And we are ready to provide them with citizenship, if necessary. If only they boxed and delighted fans in Ukraine, in Russia and around the world, ”quoted Sport-Express as quoted by Kremlyov.

The Kremlin’s initiative was supported by State Duma deputy Sergei Krivonosov.

“No officials have the right to blame great athletes performing under the flag of Ukraine. Everyone who adheres to our convictions deserves Russian citizenship. If necessary, the parliament and I personally as a deputy will support them, ”Krivonosov said.

In turn, Svishchev expressed confidence that multiple boxing champions would be welcome in any country. However, he doubts that they will have to go to a change of citizenship.

“Athletes with this name will be accepted in any country in the world. But Usik and Lomachenko have a homeland that they love and for which they worry. Therefore, they worry about the normalization of relations. They will decide where they are more comfortable living. But I hope they don’t have any problems, ”added Svishchev.

A similar position was expressed by Zhurova. Commenting on Kremlyov’s words, she suggested that the FBI was worried about the safety of boxers, so they decided to offer them help in advance.

“I do not think that they will be expelled from the country, deprived of citizenship. But if persecution begins, they may have to take this step. The guys themselves are unlikely to go for it. They want to speak for their country, while not losing their relationship with Russia just because politicians can’t agree on anything. It is more important for them that nations live in friendship. We decided to anticipate a possible situation when persecution will begin on them, and lend a helping hand. This is a normal human gesture, ”concluded Zhurova.

The documentary film "Hello Brother, Christ is Risen!" appeared on the YouTube channel of the monastery Korsunsky Prince Vladimir Desert for men. It shows the life of the church, and the main characters talk about their attitude to religion, the relationship between the two peoples and friendship with Russian athletes.

“I have a lot of friends in Russia, relatives, rivals. I communicate with everyone, I am friends with everyone, I maintain relationships. I can’t just stop doing it just because I was told that this is a country that is at war with ours. It does not fit in my head. In fact, we are one people. Since childhood, there was no difference for me - Russia, Ukraine, Belarus ... And today they are trying to replace us with all the principles, ”said Lomachenko.

Usik also stressed that he has many friends in different cities of the world, so nationality does not matter to him.

Two days after the release of the film, it became known that Usik and Lomachenko were listed in the Peacemaker base. Their data appeared in the "Purgatory" section, which includes those who, according to the creators of the site, committed anti-Ukrainian actions or statements. The reasons were “denial of Russian aggression”, “manipulation of socially significant information”, “opposition to the independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Russian Orthodox Church” and more.