According to different sources, up to five participants of unauthorized action in support of LGBT peoples' rights were detained in the Grand yard of Hermitage on Dvotsovaya square in Saint-Petersburg. Others were luckier, "Echo of Moscow" reports, "they amused foreign tourists" and managed to mix into the crowd of Palace complex's visitors.
Hermitage's yard is the biggest museum complex in Russia and one of the world's biggest arts, culture and history museums.
Action's participants held rainbow flags and banners with inscriptions "My gender is My choice", chanted "Homophobia is a disease", "Our rights have no compromises", "Homophobia is a shame for the country". Participants with a banner "Peter the Great was bisexual" managed to walk along the line of people to ticketing office of Hermitage, adds Internet media www.gzt.ru. RIA "Novosti" reports that active members have been detained at the time when they were trying to leave the museum's territory. Local police cars drove up to the Palace's gates...
Detainees are charged with administrative offences under the article of the Administrative offences code of Russia "Breach of rules of meeting, procession and picketing".
Translated by Yerdna Bananes