I became aware of this courageous and heroic woman after seeing this footage of her last speech before going to prison. Politico reported in this article about her.
I asked my friend Rustam: “Do you know this woman? Do you know her name?”
He answered: “Of course, we know our heroes.” and gave me this information:
Maria Ponomarenko is journalist from Barnaul, about 500 Km south of Novosibirsk in the Altai region. She married a man from St. Petersburg and moved to his city. There she began reporting on the reality of the situation from the very beginning of the war.
She separated from her husband, who supported the invasion of Ukraine. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the one who wrote the denunciation on her.
She was arrested back in April 2022 after a post about denouncing the Russian bombing of the drama theatre in Mariupol, where citizens were seeking shelter and which had the words “Children” written in big letters on the street, as to request from the Russian military to not bomb this place.
In February 2023 she was sentenced to six years in prison.
She serves her sentence in a colony in Krasnoyarsk, about 1000 Km from her home town Barnaul.
She has two children, who are now with their ill grandparents.
Her husband and Maria are living in alienation about the different views they have about this war.
Learn more about what happened to Maria Ponomarenko in this long article tracing the events in her life since the beginning of the full scale Russian invasion into Ukraine.
When I see this kind of separation, running right through a family, I am stunned and lack words to understand how this is possible. How can one imagine a couple, happy together, having children together, and then this development?
And this is not only their story. Such separation runs through so many families, I have heard from and I have met personally also, as well as my own family.
Background facts
The city of Mariupol has been reduced to rubble by the Russian invasion army in 2022. A widely reported war crime was the bombing of the drama theatre of that city. I found a video that documents the minutes immediately following the bombardment, which gives an unbelievable closeness to the live experience of the war
If you are not aware of what happened there, here is one of many articles you can find online on the events around this bombing.
So Maria Pomarenko reported on this war crime in Russia and – long story short – was sentenced for six years in prison for telling this truth.
Transfer to Krasnojarsk – 1000 KM away from her kids
Information in Russian, including from the newspaper Maria worked for – translated by Google Translate
RusNews journalist is transferred to Krasnoyarsk after being beaten in a pre-trial detention center
UN calls for release of Barnaul journalist Maria Ponomarenko
“I regret this: I should have acted more actively.” Maria Ponomarenko is asked for 9 years for fakes
At the meeting, two witnesses for the defense were interrogated – a mother of many children from Barnaul Elena Vorontsova , the heroine of Maria Ponomarenko’s publications, and a colleague of the journalist Alexandra Brusser .
Maria Ponomarenko came to Vorontsova’s emergency house, filmed a video there, distributed it on social networks and the media, and personally addressed the head of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin. As a result, the mother of many children received a small but comfortable apartment near Barnaul.
Novosibirsk activist Yana Drobnokhod , who specially came to the meeting, said that about ten people came to the court to support Maria.
Excerpts of two letters written by Maria Pomarenko
Марию Пономаренко, журналистку RusNews, этапируют в Красноярский край
Сегодня к нам в редакцию RusNews прислали сразу два письма от Маши. Мы публикуем небольшие выдержки из них обоих.
Письмо №1
«…меня в нарушение всех прав несовершеннолетних детей на общение с матерью этапируют в Красноярский край. Этап ожидаю 28.04. С тестом на ковид приходили. Утренняя проверка, срочно сдам письмо, поблагодарите, пожалуйста, от моего лица всех единомышленников за поддержку и сами примите благодарность. И RusNews сообщите. И еще, отец детей ушел добровольцем на СВО. Дети добровольца остаются на попечении лишь тяжело больных бабушки и дедушки. Как же бравада чинуш о всесторонней помощи семьям участников СВО?»
Письмо №2
«В целом, этап и этап, «спасибо» кривосудию и преступникам из следственных органов, среди заключенных много интересных людей, будет с кем пообщаться.
Руки не опускала и опускать не собираюсь, сила поддержки единомышленников перемалывает любые сложности в труху. Не первое письмо, даже не 701-е (явно) получаю и каждый раз читаю с трепетом и слезинками счастья. Безгранично благодарна людям, присылающим с воли весточки, наполненные доброй теплой энергетикой и словами, вдохновляющими на самосовершенствование, зарядку, стихи, структуризацию целей на будущее, окрыляющими и согревающими душу.»
Большая Благодарность Всем Неравнодушным Людям, которые участвовали и участвуют в судьбе Марии Пономаренко. Как только у нас будет информация о новом местонахождении Марии – мы сразу непременно сообщим об этом.
Если вы хотите оказать Марии финансовую помощь, вы можете перечислить любую сумму по реквизитам ниже, в сообщении укажите «на помощь Марии»:
Карта Сбера:
5336690172954655
Карта Тинькофф:
5536913828047965
Карта МИР:
2200150949399734
Maria Ponomarenko, RusNews journalist, is being transferred to the Krasnoyarsk Territory
Today, two letters from Masha were sent to us at RusNews at once.
We publish short excerpts from both of them.
Letter #1
“… in violation of all the rights of underage children to communicate with their mother, they are transporting me to the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Stage expect 28.04. They came with a covid test. Morning check, I will urgently hand over a letter, please thank, on my behalf, all like-minded people for their support and accept gratitude yourself. And tell RusNews. And yet, the father of the children volunteered for the NWO. Volunteer children remain in the care of only seriously ill grandparents. What about bureaucrats’ bravado about all-round assistance to the families of NWO participants?
Letter #2
“In general, stage and stage, “thank you” to the false judgment and criminals from the investigating authorities, there are many interesting people among the prisoners, there will be someone to talk to.
I didn’t give up and I’m not going to lower my hands, the strength of the support of like-minded people grinds any difficulties into dust. Not the first letter, not even the 701st (obviously) I receive and each time I read it with trepidation and tears of happiness. I am infinitely grateful to people who send news from the outside, filled with good warm energy and words that inspire self-improvement, exercises, poems, structuring goals for the future, inspiring and warming the soul.”
Big Gratitude to All Caring People who participated and are participating in the fate of Maria Ponomarenko. As soon as we have information about the new whereabouts of Maria, we will immediately inform you about it.
If you want to provide financial assistance to Maria, you can transfer any amount using the details below, in the message indicate “to help Maria”:
Sber card:
5336690172954655
Tinkoff card:
5536913828047965
MIR map:
2200150949399734
❗️Urgent! Maria Ponomarenko, RusNews journalist, is in a punishment cell!
As the editors of RusNews have just learned, upon arrival at the Shipunovo colony in the Altai Territory, Maria Ponomarenko was placed in a punishment cell for two terms, for 25 days!
Maria received a punishment cell for 15 days because, as a result of an unstable psycho-emotional state, severe lower back pain and a complete lack of medical care, Masha fainted. For this, a report was drawn up against her regarding the violation (she was lying down during the day). And even after fainting, Maria was never provided with medical assistance.
Masha received a punishment cell for 10 days after she was unable to get out of bed due to lower back pain at the request of an IK-6 employee, and she filed another report against Maria.
According to the results of a forensic psychological and psychiatric examination, Maria was found to have signs of personal deformation in the form of hysterical personality disorder and Masha needs medical psychiatric help, which they refuse to provide her.
When Maria was taken to IK-6 Shipunovo on September 6, she was not given warm clothes, she only had summer clothes. In connection with this, Masha’s lower back pain worsened, but the employee of the medical unit actually ignored her complaints and did not prescribe any treatment, explaining that her condition was “not terrible.”
Masha also told the lawyer that the general conditions of detention in IK-6 do not meet sanitary standards, there is dirt and unsanitary conditions everywhere; The food is very poor, the food offered is disgusting to eat. The entire detachment is provided with one sewing needle for sewing on the breastplates, given the fact that some of those serving sentences suffer from HIV infection and the lack of disinfection means, the only needle for the entire detachment raises concerns about the possibility of infection. The clothing allowance is insufficient; Maria still only has summer shoes. The clothing warehouse is very damp (high humidity), and therefore things become moldy.
After Maria complained to the supervising prosecutor about these violations, pressure began against her from the administration of IK-6, and the employees threatened her with significant difficulties in her stay in the colony. In addition, employees of IK-6 directly state that they are not afraid of any checks, “Moscow will not come, we are far away,” no one will hold them accountable.
After serving her sentence in the punishment cell, Maria Ponomarenko is planned to be transferred to strict conditions of detention.
Maria was not allowed to bring out the necessary documents and handwritten notes at the meeting with the lawyer, which contained complaints indicating the names of the employees who committed violations. The administration of IK-6 actively restricts and impedes Ponomarenko M.N. in protecting their rights and legitimate interests, which in turn is an abuse of power by employees of IK-6 (Article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
The RusNews editors continue to monitor the situation with our journalist Maria Ponomarenko. All news about Masha will be published immediately!