Kursk Teen Faces Charges for ‘Nazi Rehabilitation’ After Submitting Inappropriate Photo to WWII Memorial Installation

Russian law enforcement announced on Thursday that a 17-year-old from the Kursk region has been charged with «rehabilitating Nazism» for allegedly submitting a photograph of an adult film actor for inclusion in a World War II memorial display.

The «Faces of Victory» memorial, installed near a government building in Zheleznogorsk ahead of the Victory Day celebrations in May, was designed to showcase portraits contributed by local residents honoring veterans from both World War II and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

A local activist later discovered a black-and-white portrait of Billy Herrington, an American model and gay adult film star, among the displayed images. Herrington gained international fame as a meme after his fans created mash-up parodies known as «Gachimuchi,» using scenes from his films.

Authorities reported that they found out a teenager submitted the photograph of Herrington and that he admitted to doing so as a prank.

On Thursday, the regional division of Russia’s Investigative Committee, responsible for significant criminal cases, revealed that the unnamed teen is facing criminal charges.

According to the investigators, the image of Herrington «showed signs of disrespect towards the honor and dignity of veterans of the Great Patriotic War,» which is Russia’s term for World War II.

They further stated that the teenager took a photo of the memorial and shared it on social media «for the participants to view and discuss,» without specifying which platform was used. Investigators did not clarify whether he had been detained, only noting that the case remains under investigation.

The offense of «rehabilitating Nazism» can result in a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Civil rights advocates have criticized this law, enacted by President Vladimir Putin in 2014, as ambiguous.