February 28, 2015

Boris Nemtsov


Boris Nemtsov

Late Friday night, while taking a quiet post-prandial stroll across the Moscow River, Boris Nemtsov, one of Russia's bravest and most vocal opponents of President Vladimir Putin, was murdered in a drive-by shooting – shot in the back by assailants in an unmarked vehicle. 

Nemtsov, 55, had endured repeated and numerous death threats in recent years, but repeatedly refused all forms of protection. In a February 10 interview, Nemtsov said his mother feared for his life, given the growing tension between the Kremlin and oppositionists, against the background of war with Ukraine. Nemtsov was reportedly preparing a report that linked the Kremlin with the war.

The murder came just two days before a long-planned March 1 opposition demonstration titled "Spring," but in the wake of the killing, organizers were seeking city permission to turn the march into a commemoration of Nemtsov and change its location. The killing also came just hours after NTV announced it would broadcast a pseudo-documentary, "Anatomy of Protest," timed to coincide with the March 1 action. The documentary seeks to show how opposition leaders are trying to create a "Russian Maidan" – referring to the Ukrainian protest movement that overthrew the country's president. On Saturday, NTV announced it was delaying broadcast of the film.

The Kremlin was quick to denounce the killing as a provocation, stating that President Putin would personally oversee the investigation.

Nemtsov, a former Deputy Prime Minister under Boris Yeltsin, rose to prominence as governor of Nizhny Novgorod (1991-97), and became a nationally respected politician and economic reformer toward the end of Yeltsin's rule, as one of the founders of the Union of Right Forces. He had a zest for life and in recent years had become a tireless anti-corruption activist. In 2009 he came in second in the Sochi mayoral race, and in 2013 he was elected to the Yaroslavl regional Duma. But first and foremost he was a prominent "oppositionist." As he said in a 2011 interview:

“I love Russia and want the best for her, so for me criticizing Putin is a very patriotic activity because these people are leading Russia to ruin. Everybody who supports them in fact supports a regime that is destroying the country, and so they are the ones who hate Russia. And those who criticize this regime, those who fight against it, they are the patriots.”

In the immediate aftermath of the murder, anti-Kremlin politicians and activists were quick to label the killing as an ominous sign of the times. "There is an awful mood in Russia – that you can do anything you want with anyone in the opposition," said Irina Khakamada. "An 'anti-Maidan' aggressiveness is growing. All sorts of brutes have concluded that they can do anything and there will be no consequences."

The prominent dissident Alexei Navalny, currently in jail on a trumped up 15-day detention, wrote on his blog:

Boris came here to visit me a couple of days ago. He was his usual energetic, cheerful self, full of plans. He charmed the police, chatted happily with them, explaining how they would benefit from supporting the Spring march, and handed out brochures... I cannot even imagine that I will never see him again.

 

This is a terrible tragedy and a loss for us all. Boris was very good, decent man. He was a major politician and a decent man – something that is not very common... we have truly lost something that cannot be replaced.

The liberal newspaper Novaya Gazeta opined that

"Nemtsov's murder... is a point of no return, a radical destabilization of Russia's internal political situation, the consequences of which are impossible to predict. It is possible that we will see a salutory demonstration of mourning by senior government officials, followed by a witchhunt by special forces and the adoption of new extreme laws limiting civil rights. Russia has a long tradition of exploiting political murders for repressive ends, and as a means for "uniting the nation."

A friend and fellow Union of Right Forces leader, Vladimir Ryzhkov, said of Nemtsov:

"There was no difference between his public image and who he was as a person: bright, cheerful, optomistic, charming and sociable."

Nemtsov will be buried on March 3 in Moscow's Troyekurovsky Cemetery.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
The Little Humpbacked Horse

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
At the Circus

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955