Death of Pavel Kouchnir
Militant anti-war, Russian pianist Pavel Kouchnir, aged 39, passed away in detention on July 27 in Birobidjan, located in the remote Jewish Autonomous Oblast in the Russian Far East, due to a hunger strike. This marks the second death in July of an opponent to the invasion of Ukraine in Russian detention centers, following the death of Ukrainian prisoner of war Oleksandr Ishchenko on July 31 in Rostov-on-Don detention center in southern Russia.
Public Disclosure
The death of Pavel Kouchnir, concealed by authorities, was made public by Olga Romanova, the founder of the NGO “La Russie en prison”, which advocates for prisoners’ rights and has a wide network of informants within detention facilities across Russia. According to Romanova, Kouchnir’s fellow inmates informed her of his death, stating that the musician had started a hunger and thirst strike a few days prior to his passing.
Confirmation and Response
Kouchnir’s mother, Irina Levina, aged 79, confirmed his death, mentioning that the penitentiary administration had attempted to save him through various means like intravenous drips. Despite efforts, they were unable to resuscitate him. A friend of Pavel, Olga Chrygounova, sheltered in Europe, revealed that the pianist’s family had decided not to publicize the matter, possibly due to warnings from the FSB about maintaining silence.
Kouchnir’s Background
A graduate of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, renowned as one of the best music schools in the country, Pavel Kouchnir was destined for a successful music career. Having worked at conservatories in Kursk and Kurgan in western Russia, he relocated to Birobidjan in 2023 to work as a soloist at the philharmonic. Kouchnir believed that by settling in this remote region near the Chinese border, he could enjoy greater freedom and avoid being pressured into performing war-themed concerts.
Leave a Reply