Volgograd reenactor arrested for walking in German post-war coat

Aleksey Demyanov, a resident of the Krasnoarmeysky District of Volgograd, has been sentenced to five days of arrest for propaganda and public display of Nazi symbols. Judge Tatyana Gorodilova deemed his walk down the street in a German post-war overcoat with Wehrmacht sergeant«s shoulder straps to be such a display.

The ruling against the man was reported by the joint press service of the courts of general jurisdiction of the Volgograd region.

«The court found that on January 21, the man was walking down the street in the Krasnoarmeysky District of Volgograd in a German Bundeswehr coat with shoulder straps of a sergeant from the Third Reich era,» the court«s press service said. »During the court hearing, the offender did not dispute the circumstances outlined in the protocol. By the judge«s ruling, the man was found guilty of committing an administrative offense under Part 1 of Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. He has been sentenced to administrative arrest for 5 days.» The ruling has not yet entered into force.

It is known about the detained man that he graduated from a railway transport technical school. On social media, the man is subscribed to military historical reenactment groups, including the largest reenactor community in Volgograd — «Stalingrad Army Don.» Moreover, in the center of the Krasnoarmeysky District, on the territory of a former mustard plant, there is one of the largest gathering places for military historical reenactment enthusiasts in the region.

The Bundeswehr coat mentioned by the court«s press service is a gray overcoat with a warm lining, currently sold in large quantities on classified ad websites under names such as »men«s overcoat», «men»s coat«, or »men«s trench coat» for 5,500 to 6,500 rubles (approximately $60-$71 at current rates) each. The years of manufacture of such coats in the ads range from the late 1950s to the 1980s. It is indicated that they are suitable not only for everyday wear but also for vintage enthusiasts, reenactors, and collectors. However, the samples shown, judging by the illustrations, are not equipped with shoulder straps.

The public organization «Military Reenactment Events »Stalingrad Army Don«» stated that no reenactments took place in the Krasnoarmeysky District on January 21. The military historical reenactment club «Pekhotinets» (Infantryman), located in the Krasnoarmeysky District, reported that they held a reenactment of the capture of Field Marshal Paulus, commander of the 6th Army of the Wehrmacht, but it was on Saturday, January 24. It is unknown whether the detained man participated in a rehearsal for the reenactment of the field marshal«s capture.