Lidiya Prudovskaya, a resident of the closed town of Mirny in Russia’s Arkhangelsk region, was arrested in absentia on criminal charges of “discrediting” the Russian military. The reason: several posts on VKontakte criticizing the war in Ukraine. But the consequences went far beyond legal charges — she lost custody of her adopted son, whom she had raised since infancy. Child welfare authorities unilaterally terminated their foster care agreement. If she returns to Russia, her son will be seized and placed in an orphanage.
Who is Lidiya Prudovskaya?
Lidiya is a mother of three and a former legal advocate who provided assistance to ordinary people in Mirny: helping them win back lost jobs, appeal unjust decisions, and claim unpaid benefits. She holds degrees in civil engineering and law, and has long been known in her community as a caring, principled person.
Her personal story is marked by deep tragedy. In 2011, her newborn son died during heart surgery. Soon after, Lidiya and her husband, a military officer, decided to adopt a child from a local orphanage. That’s how Yevgeny came into their lives — he was just 11 months old. Not long after, Lidiya became pregnant, and two infants joined their family almost at once. Yevgeny grew up alongside her biological children, called her “Mom,” and was fully integrated into the family.
Speaking Out Against the War
After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Lidiya publicly expressed her anti-war views on social media. She wrote about Bucha, condemned the violence, and called the war a crime. She has Ukrainian roots and relatives in Ukraine. Her posts on VKontakte triggered an administrative case: she was fined 35,000 rubles (about $370). After subsequent posts, a criminal case was opened under Article 280.3 of the Russian Criminal Code — the law on “repeated discreditation of the military.”
Police raided her home. Both Lidiya and her two young children, then aged 9 and 10, were summoned for interrogation. The children were questioned without her presence — instead, a child welfare representative acted as their legal guardian during the questioning. Lidiya was placed under a travel ban and ordered to remain in the region.
As her trial approached, it became clear there would be no fair outcome. In March 2024, she left Russia with her children, breaking the terms of her travel restriction. The court in Mirny responded by arresting her in absentia, and she was placed on the federal wanted list.
Child Welfare Severance and Legal Erasure of Family Ties
In April 2024, while Lidiya was already outside Russia, child welfare authorities in the Arkhangelsk region officially terminated her foster care agreement for Yevgeny. Her lawyer was not informed until months later. The official reason cited was her failure to notify authorities of the child’s new place of residence “on the day following the move.” Authorities also claimed they had “no reliable information about the child’s health or any potential risks to his safety.”
Legally, this means Yevgeny is no longer her son. If they return to Russia, he will be forcibly taken from her and placed in state care — despite having lived with her for nearly 12 years and calling her “Mom” since he could talk.
Today, Yevgeny lives with Lidiya and her daughter in a European country that provides safety for persecuted Russians. He continues his education and tries to adapt to his new life, but his legal identity as a foster child "in hiding" remains. He is 12 years old. He’s been with Lidiya since he was 11 months old.
Repression Beyond Prisons: The State as Destroyer of Families
Lidiya’s case is not isolated. Hundreds of Russians have been prosecuted for “discrediting” the army — often for social media posts, sharing photos of military losses, or expressing disagreement with the war. But her case is especially harrowing: the state not only targeted her personally, but invaded her private life, interrogated her children, and stripped her of her parental rights because of her political beliefs.
This is no longer about freedom of speech — it’s about the state weaponizing child welfare systems to punish dissent. It’s about the state tearing apart families to silence opposition. If you speak out, they will not only come for you — they may come for your children.
Conclusion
Lidiya Prudovskaya’s story is a grim example of how dissent in modern Russia can cost you not just your freedom, but your family. She committed no acts of violence, made no calls for extremism. Her “crime” was voicing opposition to war and defending human rights. For that, she was arrested in absentia, stripped of her son, and forced into exile.
This is a story not just about politics — it is about motherhood, love, and the staggering price one pays for following their conscience.
O. Ivanenko
