Mothers and wives of the mobilized soldiers took part in a military-style fashion show in the Yugra region

In the Russian city of Khanty-Mansiysk - one of the coldest cities in the world, where temperatures in winter drop up to minus 50 degrees - a special themed fashion show was held. 

Governor of the Khanty-Mansy region Natalya Komarova published a video on her Telegram channel of what she called a “main fashion event of Yugra region”. 

The show was signified by the participation of the family members of those who took part in the war in Ukraine. 

Among the participants was Lutzia Nurmukhametova, mother of Farit Zaripov, who died in the war. “I realized that through this project I can transmit the story about my son”, - Litzia says in the video. - “I felt a connection to my son. It motivated me. I felt I was telling a story about him and that helped me to walk the podium”. 

The style of clothes that were presented on the models was almost entirely military-themed - with green camouflage, military-styled boots, hats, t-shirts, and badges. The letter “Z” - a symbol of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was also present on some of the items. 

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“This show is part of the project called “I’m waiting. I love. Yugra”, that tells us stories of the wives, mothers and daughters of our Yugra heroes”, - writes the governor Natalya Komarova on her Telegram channel. “It’s powerful, it’s beautiful” she continues. 

Russian authorities have been recently active in organizing entertainment events for the wives and mothers of those who participated in the war in Ukraine. For example, wives of naval troopers posed in Zapolyarny for a photo shoot. 

Some experts suggest such events could be a way to distract the attention of those families and thus to lower the protest mood among them after dozens of women recently rallied in Moscow demanding that their husbands should return home from the war, according to the Russian online media Vazhny Istory.