Russian journalism's body count
In October 2006 journalist Anna Politkovskaya - a prominent critic of the Kremlin - was shot, just one of many reporters to die in suspicious circumstances since 1993 in the Russian Federation. In solidarity with the dead, and in association with Amnesty International, Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Index on Censorship, newstatesman.com publishes pictures of some of those who have perished
Alfer'ev, Vadim
Died: 26.12.1995Circumstances: attacked and beaten with a scrap-iron bar on the stairwell of his house
Place of work: the newspaper Krasnoiarsk Segodniashniaia Gazeta
Additional information: at the time of his death he had been investigating a crime
Chechugo, Sergei
Died: 27.01.2002Circumstances: died in a helicopter explosion in the Shelkovski region of Chechnya
Place of work: he was the press officer at the Ministry of Interior of the Russian Federation in the Southern federal district and free lance journalist for the newspaper Komsomolskaia Pravda
Belozerov, Igor
Died: 03.10.1993Circumstances: killed by a sniper who was shooting from the Ostankino TV centre building
Place of work: he was a cameraman for the TV channel Ostankino
Borovik, Artem
Died: 09.03.2000Circumstances: died in a plane crash at Moscow Airport
Place of work: as well as being a journalist he was president of the publishing company Sovershenno Sekretno
Additional information: the airport security service has not ruled out that the attack on the plane was planned. A criminal investigation has been launched
Chechugo, Sergei
Died: 30.12.1998Circumstances: killed by a hit and run
Place of work: he was deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper Konkurent based in Vladivostok
Domnikov, Igor
Died: 16.07.2000Circumstances: beaten around the head with a hammer, at the entrance to his house. He died in hospital some hours later
Place of work: he was editor of the Novaia Gazeta, Moscow
Additional information: A colleague of Igor's had reportedly received threats, offers of bribes and been told by members of the Federal Security Service to stop his investigations. It is believed he was the intended target and not Igor
Drobyshev, Vladimir
Died: 03.10.1993Circumstances: died from a heart attack as a result of the shootings at the Ostankino TV centre building
Place of work: the magazine "Chelovek i Priroda"
Additional information: investigations by journalists reveal that at the time soldiers were shooting at anyone who came close to the building
Gorelova, Marina
Died: 10.11.1996Circumstances: killed alongside her colleague Yuri Shmakov, in an explosion at the funeral of the chairman of the Foundation for Afghanistan War Veterans
Place of work: she worked for the TV company Otechestvo
Ifanov, Vyacheslav
Died: 05.04.2007Circumstances: found dead in his car which was parked in his garage
Place of work: he was a cameraman for the TV channel Novoe Televidenie Aleiska
Ivanov, Valery
Died: 29.04.2002Circumstances: shot while outside his house in Tol’iatti, in the Samara region
Place of work: he was editor-in-chief of the newspaper Tol’iatinskoe Obozrenie
Additional information: Tol’iatti's Procuracy said that the murder was linked to his professional activities in reporting stories on local criminal groups
Kazikhanov, Tamerlan
Died: 13.10.2005Circumstances: shot by a Chechen fighter as he approached his workplace in Nalchik
Place of work: he was head of the press service for the anti-terrorist centre at the Ministry of Interior, Southern Federal Region
Khlebnikov, Paul (Pavel)
Died: 09.07.2004Circumstances: shot in Moscow while leaving his office. He died on the way to hospital. The two suspects fled by car
Place of work:he was a cameraman for Puls TV, Channel 5
Kholodov, Dimitrii
Died: 17.10.1994Circumstances: fatally wounded in an explosion
Place of work: he was a journalist at the newspaper Moskovskii Komsomolets
Kochetkov, Vagif
Died: 08.01.2006Circumstances: attacked and beaten at the entrance to his house he died later in hospital in Tula
Place of work: he was a journalist for the newspaper Trud
Additional information: his money and mobile phone were stolen in the incident, so there is a possibility his death was a result of a mugging
Konovalenko, Alexander
Died: 06.06.1995Circumstances: died in police custody in Volgograd
Place of work: he was a journalist for the newspaper Krest’ianskoe Slovo in Volgograd
Krasil’nikov, Sergey
Died: 03.10.1993Circumstances: shot by a member of the Russian special forces outside the Ostankino TV centre
Place of work: the TV company Ostankino
Kuznetsov, Leonid
Died: 04.09.2002Circumstances: although this is unclear, his body was discovered at the edge of Kasimov, in the Riasan region
Place of work: he was editor at Meshcherskaia Nov' newspaper
Levin-Utkin, Anatoly
Died: 24.08.1998Circumstances: beaten around the head at the entrance to his house. He died later in hospital
Place of work:he was deputy editor-in-chief for the newspaper Yuridicheski Peterburg Segodnia
List’ev, Vladislav
Died: 01.03.1995Circumstances: shot dead at the entrance to his house
Place of work: he was director general of TV Channel ORT
Loskutov, Alexander
Died: 17.12.1999Circumstances: died when a tank, driving on the opposite site on the road, lost control and crashed into his car. At the time he was reporting from Chechnya
Place of work: he was journalist for the magazine Morskoi Sbornik
Makeev, Pavel
Died: 21.05.2005Circumstances: died on the Azov-Bataisk motorway while reporting on illegal car races which were taking place there
Place of work: he was a cameraman for Puls TV, cannel 5
Additional information: friends and family believe he might have been murdered on the motorway, a criminal investigation was launched under the Russian equivalent of a violation of road traffic laws
Markevich, Eduard
Died: 19.09.2001Circumstances: found dead in the village of Reftinskii, in the Sverdlovsk region
Place of work: he was editor-in-chief of the newspaper Novii Reft, Reftinskii
Additional information: his colleagues assume he was murdered due to his journalistic investigations
Mikhailkov, Viktor
Died: 11.05.1996Circumstances: found dead in front of Cafe Topol in Chita
Place of work: he was a journalist for the newspaper Zabaikal'ski rabochi in Chita
Novikov, Sergey
Died: 26.07.2000Circumstances: shot dead at the entrance to his house
Place of work: he was president of the independent radio station Vesna
Additional infomation: a day prior to his death Novikov had announced that he had evidence of corruption in the regional administration
Peck, Rory
Died: 03.10.1993Circumstances: died as a result of stray bullets
Place of work: he was cameraman for German TV channel ARD
Piterskii, Alexander
Died: 30.08.2005Circumstances: found dead in his apartment
Place of work: he worked at the radio station, Baltika in St.Petersburg
Plotnikov-Vyacheslav
Died: 15.09.2006Circumstances: dead body found in a forest
Place of work: he was a journalist for a TV company called 41st company based in Voronezh
Politkovskaia, Anna
Died: 07.10.2006Circumstances: shot in the hallway of her apartment building
Place of work: she was a journalist for the Novaia Gazeta, Moscow
Rudnev, Vyacheslav
Died: 17.02.1995Circumstances: found gravely injured at the entrance to his house. He died later in hospital
Place of work: he was a free lance journalist based in Kaluga
Safronov, Ivan
Died: 02.03.2007Circumstances: found dead next to a building. The Moscow Procuracy announced that he had fallen from some height, probably out of the window
Place of work: he was a journalist for the newspaper Komersant
Additional information: the editor-in-chief of the Komersant newspaper doubted that it was suicide. Safronov reported on defense issues
Shchekochikhin, Yurii
Died: 03.07.2003Circumstances: after being admitted to hospital, he died of an acute allergic syndrome. It is suspected that he might have been poisoned
Place of work: he was deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper Novaia Gazeta
Sidel’nikov, Alexander
Died: 04.10.1993Circumstances: killed near the Supreme Soviet building
Place of work: he was a director and cameraman for Lennaufilm, St. Petersburg
Sidorov, Aleksei
Died: 09.10.2003Circumstances: stabbed twice in the back at the entrance to his apartment building
Place of work: he was editor-in-chief of the newspaper Tol’iatinskoe Obozrenie, based in Tol’iatti, in the Samara region
Skopan, Ivan
Died: 03.10.1993Circumstances: died as a result of stray bullets
Place of work: he was cameraman for French TV channel, TV-1
Smirnov, Alexander
Died: 04.10.1993Circumstances: killed near the Supreme Soviet building
Place of work: he was a journalist for the newspaper Molodezhnyi Kur'er
Solov'ev, Feliks
Died: 26.02.1996Circumstances: shot dead in Moscow
Place of work: he was a freelance journalist working in Moscow
Soltys, Yuri
Died: 15.06.1994Circumstances: found dead on the railway platform at Stroitel, in the Moscow region
Place of work: he was a crime correspondent for the Interfax news agency
Ulanov, Andre
Died: 15.10.1995Circumstances: shot at the door to his apartment. He died later in hospital
Place of work: he was editor-in-chief of the newspaper Tol’iatti Segodnia, based in the Samara region
Varisov, Magomedzagid
Died: 28.06.2005Circumstances: shot point-blank in front of his house in Makhachkala,in Dagestan
Place of work: he was Director of the Centre for Strategic Initiatives and Political Technology
Yudina, Larisa
Died: 06.06.1998Circumstances: found dead in a lake near Elsita, in the Kalmyk Republic
Place of work: she was editor of the newspaper Sovetskaia Kalmykia Segodnia
Additional information: The Russian President at the time called it a political murder. The Kalmyk Republic president's brother and the chair of the National Bank are suspected of having ordered the murder. Four suspects were arrested but the investigation still continues
