Anya
On Saturday, October 7th,
Anna Politkovskaya,
correspondent of Novaya Gazeta
was killed in the stairwell of her home
She was beautiful, and through the years became only more beautiful. Do you do know why? At first we merely receive our countenance from God, and then the rest we make of it ourselves in the way that we live.
Still, they say that in maturity the soul begins to appear on face. Her soul was beautiful.
She was feminine. She knew how to laugh and joke and cry from injustice. Any injustice, no matter with respect to whom, she took as her personal enemy, and she fought it with all her strength.
She was amazingly courageous, much more courageous than those many macho types in their armored jeeps, surrounded by bodyguards.
They threatened her, they tried to intimidate her, and arranged shadows and searches. She was arrested in Chechnya by "our own" airborne forces, and they threatened to shoot her. They poisoned her when she flew to Beslan. She clawed her way back to life, and, though afterwards she was never really as healthy as before, her conscience was all the stronger.
Many people, even well-wishers of Novaya Gazeta, now and then said: "Well, your Politkovskaya - she's too much already..." Not too much! She always wrote the truth. It is another matter that this truth was frequently too terrible, that many people's consciences refused to accept it. And so, as a protective reaction, they said she was "too much already." Sometimes even our editorial staff.
For the average person, probably, the most difficult thing is to turn away from a terrible fact. But, if we were to look evil directly in the eye, it cannot remain; it will pass. Anya looked evil directly in the eye, and, perhaps, she remained the conqueror in the worst situations. Perhaps she remained alive where her lowered eyes would have meant her death.
For us she is still alive. We will be never accept the death of our Anya. Whoever undertook this brutal murder - in the center of Moscow, in broad daylight, we ourselves will search for the killers. We have a good idea where they can be located...
In Europe, and in America, right now the question is being discussed: what is the state of the independent media in Russia? Novaya Gazeta in recent years has had three of its leading journalists murdered.
Igor Domnikov. His killers - because of the efforts of honest detectives and this newspaper - were brought to court.
Yuri Shchekochihin. Even the authorities in his homeland refused to look at the results of his autopsy... but we are continuing our investigation, and his killers will be punished.
Now they have taken our Anya Politkovskaya... They killed not just a journalist, not just a human rights advocate, or a citizen, they killed a beautiful woman and mother.
While there is still a Novaya Gazeta, her killers will not sleep quietly.
Novaya Gazeta
09.10.2006 |
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From the condolences weblog:
Aleksandr Usachev:
Who is behind this and the earlier murders?
Who wishes to stand with one foot in Europe, and with the other leg kick the objectionables in the rear and tries to keep his balance in the process?
Who is next?
Who will be the last?
God grant that the last victim of this undeclared war on the truth is Anna Politkovskaya...
Eternal is her memory, and condolences to her loved ones.
Serg:
It seems to me that we are living in '1984' of George Orwell, or during the time of the inquisition. If they are killing journalists, it means they are afraid of their words, and seriously afraid. But why do why allow ourselves to be silent? To kill a lot of people is more difficult.
I kneel down before Anna Politkovskaya, such honest and fearless people are unfortunately very few.
Sergey, Krasnodar
MTV:
They have extinguished yet another ray of light in this dark empire.
Mihail:
Thank you, for the truth! For freedom! For the example!
You are a hero!
Rest in peace.
Mihail Bogomolov:
Anna Stepanovna, forgive us! But we do not say 'farewell!' You remain with us, as one of the few people who didn't just look upon the government scum, but called them exactly what they deserved: scum.
Don't say with sorrow: 'They are gone!' But with gratitude: 'They were!'
Yurii:
SUCH news from Russia already doesn't suprise us, we all felt the sharp pain when we knew of Anna Politkovskaya's death. There are fewer and fewer people who aren't afraid to 'take to the streets', and Politkovskaya was the brightest light among them.
Marina:
It's hard to be an honest person in a bandit land...
Lev:
She gave us all strength...
Olga:
My tears choke me, it's hard to write, such an honest person, so close to my heart.
These reptiles are killing the last people, hoping that a society of beasts remains. They hope to frighten everyone, to make us stop thinking. Let the earth be your pillow, Lord protect her bright spirit, Amen.
Sergey:
Today Russia has no conscience. They killed it.
We mourn with you!
Government of force, stupid government, without brains,
Do you think that dying in her flower of life
She leaves, that the country is all like a prison,
Not ruled by law, but by a pistol?
But a bullet is a weak argument,
Obviously the truth is simple, like two times two:
Though Anna Politkovskaya is no more,
Her Novaya Gazeta is alive!
A.N. Kapitonov
Vika:
They feared her!!! The men revealed by authority and money! Fear this, you cowards, Anna from the skies will reveal all your meannesses, from there even more easily... But they did not count on one thing, yes, we were shaken by this murder, but we were not lost, we didn't scatter, we balled up our fists. If this brittle woman could resist this steam roller, this evil, then I can. Glory to you Anna, the fearless hero! You have it much better up there in heaven, than we do here in Russian, you have much more pleasant company. We remember everything, and this means that you live on, and evil will fall upon all the killers!
Glory to you, hero!
Good bye, my friend, good bye.
My dear one, you are inside my breast.
This predestined parting,
Promises a reunion ahead.
Good bye, my friend, without a handshake, without a word,
Do not get sad or furrow your brow,
Dying is nothing new in this life,
But living, of course, isn't novel either.
(S. Yesenin, ‹1925›)
Bela:
Dear Anna,
Thank you, for loudly saying what many feared to think,
Thank you, for going ahead, when many lagged behind,
Thank you, for trying to save the innocent who were condemned,
Thank you, for treasuring human life so,
Thank you, for telling us the truth,
Thank you, for your life,
Thank you,
A bright memory of you.
Kira:
Sincerest condolences, I am crying... as if one of my own had died. Maybe I can say that it is so. Anna was at 'Nord-Ost', there where my closest person in the world was, ... Her whole life she tried to help those who had it bad. I always trusted her. Eternal is her memory...
Svetlana:
Bitter. Unmeasurable sadness. Shame for our nation, for all of us. Anna Politkovskaya was fearless. Her readers feared for her. It happened anyway. How THEY master us! How we allowed THEM to master us!
Thank you, Anna! All these years you showed us how we should live. Thank you, and forgive us.
Balakar:
99% corruption, 99% stupidity, 99% lies and meanness, and 1 % honest people. They are shooting and forcing out of the country the last of this percent. My condolences to all those close to Anna. And I'm very sorry for myself and my children.
Leonid:
Shame and fear for the country in which I was once born. Judging for everything, anything goes, and it's a frighteningly long time until the dawn. Hang in there, like Anna hung in there, and don't lose hope, we are with you. Let the earth be your pillow!"
(October 7th, 2006, in memory of Anna Politkovskaya)
Don't listen for her respiration, and don't summon the physicians -
Her soul already walks barefoot along the celestial lawn.
God takes away the good by the hands of bastards.
Idle neighbors stare out from their windows.
What is it to her, spending time in spite with praise and disparagement?
She is already away from this bloody suffering.
The quivering reflection of a candle is like a halo overhead.
And the next on the list places flowers on her coffin.
Viktor Kagan
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