Daria Egereva’s story featured in an exhibition on political prisoners in Strasbourg

Photo: THE INSIDER

An exhibition with the striking title “Resistance Behind Bars” has opened in Strasbourg. It is not just an art display, but an attempt to give a voice to those who have been deprived of their freedom — and of the right to be heard.

The project was organized by the Platform of Russian Democratic Forces in PACE together with Ritsch-Fisch Galerie. The curators include Nadya Tolokonnikova, Richard Solty, and Marie-Laure Riedinger. The exhibition focuses on drawings, letters, and

personal stories of people imprisoned in Russia.

These pages contain more than lines and words. They hold fear, loneliness, and attempts to preserve one’s identity. Creativity becomes a way to survive — a way not to dissolve in isolation.

These are stories about how people learn to live in conditions where almost everything has been taken from them — except their inner freedom.

The opening was attended by representatives of the international community, including the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, delegates from various countries, as well as representatives of both Russian and Ukrainian sides. As noted in an Instagram post, the exhibition serves as an important reminder of the fate of those behind bars.

According to the organizers, this is “the voice of those who cannot speak for themselves.”

Among the stories presented is the case of Daria Egereva. She was arrested in December 2025. She, along with Natalya Leongardt, is accused of involvement in the Aborigen Forum, which has been designated by Russian authorities as a “terrorist organization.”

Amnesty International has recognized Egereva as a political prisoner.

Her story is just one of many. But it is through such stories that it becomes clear: behind statistics and legal language are real human lives.

The exhibition in Strasbourg is not only about art. It is a reminder of the cost of silence — and of the fact that even behind bars, resistance is possible.

Until May 31📍 Ritsch-Fisch Galerie, 6 Rue des Charpentiers, Strasbourg

Photos from THE INSIDER Instagram page

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