November 12, 2024

Punk in Russia, Prisoner in Kazakhstan


Punk in Russia, Prisoner in Kazakhstan
Punk musician Aikhal Ammosov with his luggage in Germany. Publichnye Prisyry, Telegram.

After a year in prison due to a Russian extradition order, Kazakh authorities released Yakut punk musician and anti-war activist Aikhal Ammosov. On November 9, he announced he had arrived in Germany. 

Aikhal Ammosov, whose passport name is Igor Ivanov, was not involved in politics until suspicion arose that Russia might invade Ukraine. The musician betted with a friend that there would be a war. He won two pizzas at the time, but lost far more in the long run.

The punk band Crispy Newspaper's leader began leading anti-war protests in Yakutia. Ammosov graffitied walls with "No to War" in three languages. He put a banner "Yakut Punk Against War" on a swimming pool roof. He distributed pamphlets saying, "Get your hands dirty with paint, not blood."

The anti-colonial activist, wearing all-black attire, sunglasses, and a mask, photographed himself in front of a funerary home with the sign "The grooms have arrived" and a picture of a casket. The stunt referenced the 2007 movie Gruz 200 (Cargo 200), directed by Alexey Balabanov.

In 2022, Ammosov was charged with "discrediting the army." At the start of his trial, he posed in front of the city court of Yakutsk wearing his signature all-black outfit, raising his fist. Shortly after, he fled to Kazakhstan.

After Ammosov arrived in Kazakhstan, authorities refused to grant him refugee status. Back in Russia, authorities opened a case against Ammosov in absentia for "justifying terrorism." Since the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan includes a similar law as the Russian one against "discrediting the army," authorities in Russia filed for his extradition. In October 2022, the punk musician was detained in Almaty. 

Ammosov's letters from custody in Kazakhstan described how his health deteriorated in jail from poor nutrition. He witnessed riots and went on a hunger strike with fellow prisoners. The activist also recalled how guards abandoned prisoners during an earthquake in Almaty. Consequently, a revolt ensued, resulting in many detainees being placed in solitary confinement. Ammosov was spared that fate, thanks to other prisoners defending him.

Upon his release, Ammosov fled to Germany on a humanitarian visa, which he obtained with the assistance of human rights activists.

You Might Also Like

A Pro-War Childhood?
  • October 31, 2024

A Pro-War Childhood?

Russian children are being instilled with militant patriotism through plays, stories, cartoons, and toys.
Forced to Be Sorry
  • September 24, 2024

Forced to Be Sorry

In 2024, Russians publish public video apologies every two days.
Baikal, not Bali
  • July 10, 2024

Baikal, not Bali

The State Duma has banned Russian deputies and senators from traveling abroad without permission.
Small-Town Russia and the War
  • July 02, 2024

Small-Town Russia and the War

Sociologists spent a month living in small-town Russia to understand how Russians feel about the war in Ukraine.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Jews in Service to the Tsar

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.
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.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

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.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
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.
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.

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