A Small Act, A Loud Statement

Being #notthroughme doesn’t always mean showing up to a protest or making headlines. It can be as simple as a decision to stand on the right side of something when the opportunity presents itself.

Anastasia Kucherova had one of those opportunities at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, and she took it.

Kucherova is Russian. She’s lived in Milan for 14 years and is opposed to her country’s war against Ukraine. When she volunteered at the opening ceremony and the organisers asked if anyone had a preference for which country’s placard they’d like to carry, she chose Ukraine.

So there she was — dressed in the same silver coat and dark glasses as every other placard bearer — leading the Ukrainian team into San Siro stadium to a standing ovation. Nobody in the crowd knew who she was or where she was from. The Ukrainian athletes she walked alongside figured it out quickly though, speaking to her in Russian without being told.

After the ceremony, she spoke to the Associated Press and explained why she did it. She wanted Ukrainians to know that not every Russian supports the war. She acknowledged the risks — she hasn’t returned to Russia since 2018 and knows that speaking out has consequences. But her reasoning was straightforward: if she couldn’t use her voice while living freely in a democratic country, then the regime had already won.

She carried a sign. She showed up. In whatever small way she could, she made sure this war wasn’t passing through her without resistance.

The Ukrainian athletes she walked with — including flag bearer Yelyzaveta Sydorko and figure skater Kyrylo Marsak — both have fathers fighting on the front lines. They arrived in Milan carrying a lot. The least the rest of us can do is make sure they know they’re not invisible.

Anastasia Kucherova did that. One placard, one choice, one act of solidarity.

*#notthroughme*