NFT artist Olive Allen said by publicly burning her Russian passport, protesting the current government. Allen said she will use funds from the sale to donate to Save the Children, an organization aimed at helping children around the world.
Allen described herself as “a child of new Russia” and said the country would always be a part of her identity, but she had chosen to cut ties with it based on its recent actions in Ukraine. Standing in front of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in New York City, Allen burned her Russian passport – which she said was the only copy she had – and planned to auction the video as a nonfungible token (NFT), with the proceeds going to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.
She said, “I do not consider Putin’s Russia my home,” said Allen. “Our country has such an immense potential, but the government has been f–ing people over for eternity.”
Allen, who has been involved in the crypto space since early 2018 following the December 2017 Bitcoin (BTC) bull run, said the decision to burn her passport was prompted by being unable to see herself ever returning to the country under its current leadership.
She said she wanted to push back against the narrative that all Russian civilians were in favor of military action against Ukraine, noting she knew people in the country who were “brainwashed to the point of no return” in supporting the regime.
Speaking on her Twitter account, Allen said she stands in solidarity with Ukraine and that the non-fungible ‘Passport Burning’ token will be listed on the SuperRare Marketplace, with all proceeds going to Save the Children International through the platform. non-profit charity Giving Block. in BTC and ETH.
On the auction page, Allen posted a moving description: “The war in Ukraine is a tragedy that has claimed innocent lives and caused devastating destruction. It breaks my heart.
I burned my passport not because I don’t like my country but because I don’t believe in Putin’s Russia. I defend peace and freedom today and every day. The auction went live on SuperRare on March 4. It garnered 14 bids and was won for 3.66 ETH by user @dedb8.
Simply burning the passport does not in itself renounce citizenship of a country. The Russian government made it clear through federal legislation in 2002 that a person living outside of Russia can terminate their Russian citizenship at their discretion, provided they have not been charged by the Russia, whether she has no other citizenship or “has no exceptional obligation”. to the Russian Federation.
Allen would have to fill out paperwork at a Russian embassy, presenting a clean passport, to legally end his relationship with the country.
Allen isn’t the only one using NFTs to raise money to help Ukraine. Time magazine announcement that TimePieces, a web3 initiative, would launch Artists for Peace. An NFT auction featuring 59 artists will be sold to raise funds for humanitarian and relief efforts in Ukraine. The company said it would not take any discounts from sales.
