St. Petersburg bookstore forced to remove word ‘Peace’ from storefront window

The independent St. Petersburg bookstore Vse Svobodny removed the word “Peace” from its storefront window on police orders. A video posted on the store’s Telegram channel showed an employee scrubbing off the lettering.

The phrase “Peace to the World!” was put up on the store’s window after the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In March 2023, someone shot a bullet through the window. The bookstore replaced the glass after a fundraiser.

After the incident, the word “Peace” remained on the window. On December 17, an unknown person added “Za” (“for”) over it, with the Latin letter “Z” (a pro-war propaganda symbol in Russia).