In Russia, a meeting in honor of dead Jews was not allowed due to “restrictions due to COVID-19”

The authorities of St. Petersburg refused to allow the city’s Jewish community to hold an annual commemorative event “due to coronavirus restrictions.” The organizers invited everyone to come to the “Formula of Sorrow” monument in Pushkin to light a candle, read a prayer and place a pebble at the memorial. The traditional ceremony in memory of the first execution of Jews in Pushkin was held on the first Sunday in October.

Deputy head of the Pushkinsky district administration Vladimir Lvov refused to approve the action, citing a ban on public events until the end of 2024 “due to coronavirus.” The governor of St. Petersburg extended restrictions until the end of the year. Such bans are often used for opposition events.

The “Formula of Sorrow” memorial was created in 1991 in the city of Pushkin, on the site where Jews were shot during World War II. German troops entered the city on September 17, 1941, and on October 4, mass executions of Jews began, who were buried in parks.