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Who is Elizaveta Peskova? Daughter of Putin's spokesman says 'NO TO WAR' on Instagram

Along with Peskova, several children of oligarchs and senior officials have also taken a stand against the Russian invasion

The daughter of one of President Vladimir Putin’s top officials has spoken up against Russia’s decision to attack Ukraine. Elizaveta Peskova took to her Instagram page to share a black square on her Story with a message that read, “HET BOЙHE." In English, it means “no to war”. Her account has since become a private one and can no longer be viewed.

Peskova is the daughter of Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for the Russian leader, who has always supported Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine. Around a week ago only, the senior Russian diplomat justified the detention of thousands of demonstrators who protested against the war by saying these things "are not allowed by the law."

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Though Peskova appears to be close to her dad, she did not hesitate to express her views on the tragic war. Her Instagram Story is not visible now but the screenshot of it was shared on Twitter by the Russian outlet TV Rain. BBC journalist Francis Scarr also posted a screenshot of her Instagram Story. Later, Washington Post reporter Mary Ilyushina tweeted that the 24-year-old vice president of the Foundation for the Development of Russian-French Historical Initiatives “has now deleted it.”

However, Peskova is not the only such 'rebel.' Many children of Russia’s elite class have publicly opposed Putin. Sofia Abramovich, daughter of Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, has revealed that a large majority of Russians are against Putin. She said: “The biggest and most successful lie of Kremlin’s propaganda is that most Russians stand with Putin.”

Maria Yumasheva, the granddaughter of former president Boris Yeltsin and daughter of Putin’s adviser Valentin Yumashev, also shared “No to war” on her social media. Along with Yumasheva, her fiancé, Fedor Smolov, a football player who plays for Russia and Dynamo Moscow, has said: “no to war!!!” on his Instagram with symbols of Russian and Ukrainian flags.

Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev was one of the first among his countrymen to send Putin a message. After beating Poland's Hubert Hurkacz in their semifinal match at the Dubai Championships on Friday, February 25, he wrote: “No War Please” over a camera. A day earlier, the 24-year-old had said: “In these moments you realize that my match is not important. It's not about my match, how it affects me. What's happening is much more terrible. You realize how important it is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what, to be united. We should take care of our earth and of each other. This is the most important thing.”

Meanwhile, Peskova’s act has been appreciated by many on the Internet. A user tweeted: “brave of her and it tells you Putin is loosing the grip of those around him.” Another user pointed out that Dmitry Peskov, the 24-year-old Elizaveta Peskova's father, "routinely gives statements justifying Russia's actions & attacking the US & its allies as Putin's spokesman," adding, "Bless her; more courage than any GOP member,” referring to Elizaveta's bravery. “It seems that there is a bit of a rift among the oligarchs when the younger generation speaks as they do, and especially when the one Elizaveta Peskova, is the daughter of Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov #dkmedier #russia #putinatwar #putin,” the third user speculated.