June 21, 2023

He Warned Police Would Kill Him. He is Dead


He Warned Police Would Kill Him. He is Dead
Anatoly Berezikov. Rimma Maslak, Twitter.

The anti-Kremlin activist Anatoly Berezikov was known in Rostov-on-Don as the man who rode his bike around town wearing nothing but shorts in the harsh winter, distributing anti-war pamphlets on his rides. Police detained and tortured him. Berezikov warned his lawyers he would be killed. He was found dead the day before he was to be released. Police quickly claimed he committed suicide.

Born in Shatura, Berezikov had a passion for noise music that led him to Rostov-on-Don's experimental music scene. He collaborated on noise synths with local music legend Papa Srapa (Eduard Srapionov) while making a living as a repairman. Berezikov didn't mention the war in his Telegram channel but attended protests calling for political prisoner Alexei Navalny's release and openly opposed Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Bereznikov took part in the Ukrainian project Khochu Zhit (I Want to Live), putting up posters warning Russians of the consequences of enlisting in the army. That was when he was detained for "treason."

On May 11, the FSB raided Berezikov's home without explanation, destroyed his things, and beat and arrested him. While in custody, Berezikov reported the police's rape and death threats to his lawyer, Irina Gak, and to activist Tatyana Sporysheva. He also showed the women taser shock marks that guards had left behind with their abuse. According to Sporysheva, Berezikov said, "I'm scared they'll kill me, and I won't live to see my exit from the detention center, that is, I won't live to see June 15."

On June 14, when she arrived to visit her client, Gak was told that Berezikov was not in the detention center. Gak only learned her client was dead when she saw his body being carried to an ambulance.

On the day he died, Berezikov, known as Anatoly Ryk in the local music scene, was set to perform at Moscow's "Noise and Fury" festival.

 

 

You Might Also Like

Spring 2023
  • May 01, 2023

Spring 2023

The Evolving Language of War * A Defiant Teacher * A Hopeful Priest * A Village Stand-Off * A Trip to Ukraine * Books We Liked * Last Words of Convicted Dissenters
Dance Floor Dissent
  • May 26, 2023

Dance Floor Dissent

A video of people singing pro-Ukraine lyrics prompted government intervention.
Flagpole Ripper
  • April 13, 2023

Flagpole Ripper

A man was arrested for tearing down a Russian flag at a police department.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

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.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

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.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

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