Russian athlete carried Ukraine’s flag at opening ceremony of 2026 Olympics, - AP. PHOTO
In Milan, during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Ukrainian team's plaque was carried by Anastasia Kucherova, a native of Russia. The girl said that it was her conscious choice.
This was reported by the Associated Press, according to Censor.NET.
Ukraine at the opening of the Winter Olympics
Anastasia Kucherova, a Russian woman who has lived in Milan for 14 years, expressed her disagreement with Russia's war against Ukraine in a very symbolic, albeit anonymous, act: she carried the Ukrainian team's placard during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
Kuchera was dressed in a long silver down coat with a hood, her eyes covered with dark glasses — like everyone else carrying placards from the 92 countries participating in the Games. The placard with the inscription "Ukraine" was illuminated so that spectators could read it.
The Russian woman said that she deliberately chose Ukraine when volunteers were allowed to choose countries instead of a random distribution, and Ukrainian Olympians were sceptical about this.
How did she explain her actions?
- Kucherova, an architect who has lived in Milan for 14 years, was unrecognisable, and her nationality was not announced to the public when she led five Ukrainian athletes onto the San Siro stadium. The stands greeted the Ukrainians with applause.
She first spoke about her role on Instagram and later in an interview with the AP.
"When you walk alongside these people, you understand that they have every right to hate any Russian. However, I think it's important to take at least a small step to show them that perhaps not all people think the same way," she told reporters.
Kuchera also said that she has not visited Russia since 2018 and has been living abroad for a long time, where she volunteers and works as a choreographer. She also understands that by challenging the Russian regime, she is taking a risk:
"I have to worry about it, and I have to be afraid of it. And I can't guarantee that my statement won't hurt the people I know," she said. "But I believe that if I, living in a democratic country and enjoying all the freedoms, am afraid, it means that the regime has won."
The AP added that the Ukrainian team included short track speed skater Yelyzaveta Sydorko and figure skater Kyrylo Marsak, whose parents serve in the Ukrainian army.
