Vasilia Vershinina is a former secondary school teacher from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky who was dismissed for alleged "immoral behavior" following a fine under an administrative statute concerning the "discrediting" of the Russian military. She was a member of the "Volya" (Will) party—founded by politician Lada-Rus (Peunova)—until the party was designated as extremist and dissolved in 2016. A civic activist, she had announced her intention to run for governor of Kamchatka Krai. Vershinina was highly active as a blogger on her Telegram channel, where she urged followers to join the "Council of Kamchatka Krai." According to the prosecution, this "Council" is a branch of the "All-People’s Union for the Revival of Russia," an organization that effectively continues the activities of the defunct "Volya" party. Consequently, Vershinina faces charges related to participation in an extremist organization and recruiting others into its activities. Furthermore, the educator has been charged with inciting terrorism, based on her posting of videos featuring the songs "Varshavyanka" and "The Internationale."
