When you live for years in an atmosphere of fear and coercion, there is a huge gap between the desire to do something and actually doing something. Here are a few tips that may help fill this gap.
– Plan your route so as not to return to places where you have already been.
– Practice at home: this speeds up the process and helps you avoid annoying blots and corrections.
– Ask a close friend to walk with you. Two people strolling arouse less suspicion and discourage others from messing with you. It is important that, at the decisive moment, the friend watches your back.
– It is better to prepare posters and stickers in advance, rather than create them on the spot.
– It is a good idea to have a convenient folder or carrying bag.
– You can easily make a banner from any type of fabric and masking tape. The mounting holes can be reinforced with grommets, but it is possible to do without them. Roll up the banner accordion-style. First attach an upper corner, then a lower one. Then quickly stretch and attach the other upper corner, the other lower corner, and the middle. You attract notice as soon as you begin unfolding the banner. It can easily be fastened with pieces of wire. A third person should document the banner, and everyone should leave quickly after it’s mounted.
– Keep in mind that cans of spray paint and stencils get dirty and smell.
– People get annoyed when they see something hung or spray-painted on architectural landmarks. Billboards, walls, window niches and other surfaces situated perpendicular to the flow of pedestrians are another matter.
– There is no need to be a Stakhanovite. Three or four spots is more than enough for a single run. Be guided by your capabilities and sense of danger.
– It’s a success when you implement your plan without coming into contact with undesirable authorities. A series of successes can dull your sense of danger. Don’t change the plan, don’t prolong the process, don’t ignore security measures.
– About one in ten passersby will notice you. Approximately one out of ten people who notice you will be a person with a “heightened sense of civic responsibility” and will sound the alarm. Hence, the fewer people with whom you come in contact, the better.
– Don’t discuss what you have done with people who were not involved. Don’t discuss what you have done in messengers. It is not necessary to post about what you did on the internet using your own name. If you decide to post, delete the metadata.
Good luck.
Source: George Losev, Facebook, 22 February 2022. Translated by the Russian Reader
The Russian Reader 