ST. PETERSBURG -- Dozens of young people braved freezing temperatures in St. Petersburg today to demonstrate against corruption in universities, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports.
Protest organizer Artyom Murzakov, from the youth group of the ruling United Russia party, the Young Guard, told RFE/RL that the protesters hope to bring the public's attention to "the widespread corruption in education."
He said the demonstration was organized today because it's marked in Russia as Students' Day. Demonstrators held signs saying "I am against corruption" and "I am a good student."
Protesters said the quality and entire meaning of university degrees in Russia are being devalued as many students who do not study "buy their grades" in order to graduate.