"This search was the last straw"

Journalist Irina Slavina performed self -immolation near the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Nizhny Novgorod

In Nizhny Novgorod, the creator and editor-in-chief of the independent online publication Kozapress Irina Slavina committed suicide. On the afternoon of October 2, she set fire to herself near the building of the regional department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The day before the journalist was a search. Before suicide, Slavina wrote on Facebook: "In my death, I ask you to blame the Russian Federation." "Cold" talked with people who knew Irina Slavin.

In order not to miss the main materials of the "cold", subscribe to our Instagram and telegram .

"I have beliefs, do you understand?"

Who was Irina Slavina

In 2015, the Nizhny Novgorod journalist Irina Slavina complained of censorship and resigned from the New-NN news agency. “I then lost my job for the third time, left without income with a“ wolf ticket ”. There are no more editors and media in the region who would dare to take me, ”she wrote about her dismissal. Then Slavina jokingly invited her Facebook subscribers to come up with a name for the new independent media: “The first word“ goat ”was written by Dmitry Zal. I set up "Press". So from the joke the name of the brand was born. ” The Kozapress website was launched and published with readers' money - for a five -year anniversary in 2020 it had 60 permanent paid subscribers. In 2019, Kozapress climbed the second line in citation in the region.

In the same year, Slavina received the largest fine in Russia (at that time) under a new article on disrespect for power. The court recovered from it 70 thousand rubles for a post on Facebook on the installation of a memorial plaque to Joseph Stalin in the city of Shahunya. In her publication, Slavin reinvented the name of the city with an obscene root - the expert involved in the police considered that this "expresses a clear disrespect for society." In 2020, the magazine was held accountable for the note “The first case of coronavirus was identified in Kstov”, in which the police found inaccurate information. She was faced with a fine of up to 500 thousand rubles, which, according to Slavina, would become a “financial murder”; As a result, the court appointed 65 thousand rubles a fine. Slavin was also fined for 5,000 rubles under an article on relations with an undesirable organization - for the publication of the Forum “Free People” in Nizhny Novgorod.

“These five years were very difficult for me. It was necessary to drag his media, earnings in other editions. I have never taken a dime in my life to publish some news or article in a goat, although they offered to pay more than once. Not a single advertiser was able to shove into the "goat" publication without a note on the rights of advertising. " Yes, you have to refuse money if it contradicts my principles and law, ” wrote Slavina about her work in May. - I have beliefs, understand? No matter what they lie about me. ”

On the eve of suicide, a journalist came to a search as part of a criminal case of cooperation with an undesirable organization: she and other local activistswere looking for materials related to “open Russia” by Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The criminal case itself was opened against a local entrepreneur, Pastafarian Mikhail Iolievich, who, according to investigators , provided the premises for activists of the movement. Slavina said that she was taken away from all the electronics and records: "I was left without means of production."

Alexey Sadomovsky Deputy Chairman of the Regional Branch of the Yabloko party in Nizhny Novgorod

Irina was the founder, publisher and editor -in -chief of the most popular independent media in Nizhny Novgorod - “Corpers”. In recent years, almost all her life was dedicated to the work of this media. It is clear that it was completely independent, so the security forces constantly crushed it. Several administrative cases were brought to her-under the article on the insult [representative] of the authorities, under the article on an undesirable organization, for organizing the march of Nemtsov’s memory, some other things. In recent years, she lived under constant pressure, in constant fear, anxiety. Apparently, she could not stand it - and this search was the last straw.

Before going to journalism, Irina worked as a teacher at school. Having prepared with various regional publications in Nizhny, she decided to make her-she lacked a place for self-realization, did not want to be limited by some administrative barriers, did not want to serve, but wanted to tell the truth. She built the publication from scratch. I collected money, including through donations, I myself donated, like other Nizhny Novgorod.

When we met, there was no “Kozypress” yet, but Irina was already a journalist. She loved Russia very much, her city was not going to emigrate, worried that society would become more civilized and it was more pleasant to live in the country. She constantly joked, seemed cheerful. Now it has become clear that, apparently, a lot of anxiety was hiding behind this, but publicly she never showed it. As a journalist, she was distinguished by the fact that she always dug up to the truth - no matter what it cost her. There are no other journalists in Nizhny Novgorod. Her officials knew and were afraid of her well.

The last time I saw her last week, when the mandates were awarded to the deputies of the City Duma. There was nothing depressive, there were no strange statements from her - they usually talked completely, then she asked me for photos to insert into her material.

She could not have any materials for which the investigation could catch. It must be understood that the case was initiated not on her, but to another person who had enough administrations to institute criminal proceedings. In principle, in Nizhny Novgorod there is no “open Russia”. She could not cooperate with her.

I believe that only the pressure of the court, the search, was nothing more to suicide. As a person who also had a search yesterday, I can say that this is a very large pressure. Especially when this happens for several years. This may well bring a person to commit suicide. It’s hard to live like that, true.

Stanislav Dmitrievsky human rights activist

It is very difficult to speak. Ira Slavina is one of the best journalists with whom I had the happiness of working. A person of very high journalistic professionalism and at the same time a very firm civil position. On many, she made the impression of a stone wall, but in fact she was quite sensitive.

Now there will be a lot of things to say - that this is a weak act ... What she did is terrible, but this is not a weak act. This, apparently, was a cry of despair to express a protest against the horror that is happening. I execute myself: just today I was going to take her money to restore technology ... As soon as I saw this entry, I wrote to her - she did not answer. And then this news came. I spoke to her for the last time yesterday, asked what help was needed - she said that it was very difficult for her to say that she had not yet come to her senses. As far as I understand, she had the first such experience.

We are somehow used to it, you understand-well, a search and search, well, they made a technique ... But Ira did not work out cynicism. Just like that of Ani Politkovskaya - after all, the farther she encountered horror in the war, the more sensitive it became. There are people who put on the armor of cynicism, there are people who simply pass to the side of the strong, are sold. Let's look at our propagandists on TV - many of them were decent journalists and as if decent people. And someone has a reverse process. Ira was one of those whom what was happening injured and injured, who could not just put up. There are minutes when evil approaches so much that it is really difficult to live. Someone grows armor-but she did not grow.

For her, this ideal of a real journalist - independent, impartial, unbiased - was very important. Look at her last report - about searches. She doesn’t write to herself almost there. Only facts, only facts. For her, journalism as part of a civilized society was a very important value. She said very rarely pathetically! Sometimes, of course, was angry and annoyed, but did not allow herself to fall into a bad pathos. Sometimes it is better to express, to say-so-rustic everything, but she kept in herself, and this blew her up.

I knew that she was an emotional person, and of course I was afraid - but not suicide, it never occurred to me. I was afraid that she could freak out, quit everything ... A man reacted very painfully to injustice. And not in its own way! She had instinctive adherence to the truth as some foundation of the world. She was not a believing person, we often talked about it, but she had an amazing sense of truth, which does not depend on a person, but which is from above. She was simply killed by this inconsistency between the truth that should be, and what is actually and what she constantly encountered - with this lead, this bite.

Everyone loves the right words and look pretty, but not everyone is ready to sacrifice something for the sake of the values ​​that he lives. What happened is terrible, but she remained true to herself to the end. I only execute myself that I did not feel before. Probably, this will all be a big lesson to us. If we were all a little more sensitive in the lower, probably, one could at least be worried. Unfortunately, I was worried only when I saw this note, and after a few minutes I found out that it was not. Too late. We are all to blame. It is clear that cops, faces - livestock work - only their hands will be carried out. And we are to blame.

Arkady Galker Chairman of the Nizhny Novgorod branch of the human rights organization "International Memorial"

This news just knocks me down. Only yesterday we corresponded with Irina about the case on which searches were underway. I sent her the materials of this case that we managed to get, she thanked me, made a publication on social networks based on these materials. We offered her legal assistance on the part of the Memorial and the OVD-Info ( declared by “foreign agents.”-approx. “Cold” ). It should be noted that yesterday seven activists were searches and, as far as I know, only two of those who were searched yesterday, they took place in the most severe format. Only to Irina Slavina and to [Mikhail] Ioilievich came large groups of security forces with special equipment for hacking the door, with a gas tank.

IORILEVICH has a special situation, he is the main person involved in the criminal case. I think that in the case of Slavina, this was primarily an intimidation action by the state. The goal was to demonstrate state terror, to show its vulnerability to the state. It is clear that all these searches are essentially not related to the activities of IOILEVICH. It’s just that the state took the opportunity to intimidate and get the maximum incriminating evidence that they can extract from the devices that they managed to remove. On Irina Slavina, they hit with maximum strength. Obviously, it was very difficult for her.

We met Irina on the rally of Boris Nemtsov’s memory. She certainly was a persistent and courageous woman. There was an episode with the fourth march Nemtsov, for which she was then brought to administrative responsibility. She came to the place of the march and went ahead of the column with a small portrait of Nemtsov and the inscription “Bow!”. In fact, she led people. She had the ability to lead, courage and, of course, I did not fully realize how much yesterday’s intimidation was injured. We are used to seeing her such familiar image and did not realize how hard it was for her. I feel my enormous guilt for not being able to support it properly.

Nikolai Rybakov Chairman of the Yabloko party

She was a journalist who not only dryly illuminates what was happening, but wants to influence him. A very sincere, friendly person. We even had to extinguish the fire with her: we walked around the site alone, where someone staged arson-and so we stewed, called the Ministry of Emergencies. She was a man who could not pass by some problem. Of course, the current state is not ready for this - they want everyone not to protrude, they are silent.

It is completely terrible and unexpected that she made such a decision, because it is not worth it. She simply could not withstand the pressure of the power structures, the persecution that has been in recent months. Of course, yesterday's searches were the last straw. The security forces believe that all around them are iron. And not all iron. And now this is the responsibility of both those who directly organized all this, and those who created such an atmosphere in the country.

Svetlana Kuzevanova Lawyer of the Media Protection Center

Ira is a fighter. She was never afraid to speak and write, always refused to be more neutral and accurate in her publications. And she loved and believed in her "Cosupress".

On September 17, we went to court in Nizhny Novgorod - I represented the interests of its editorial office. I was not very familiar with her, but I did not notice anything that could alert. Yesterday she offered her the help of the center to appeal the search. We talked absolutely calmly, so I am terrified of what happened.

Askhat Kayumov Head of the Ecocenter "Dront"

This is a gigantic loss for the city and a huge grief for people. Irina, undoubtedly, was one of the few honest journalists of Nizhny Novgorod. We intersected on environmental topics related to environmental protection, nature protection in the city, and protecting the rights of citizens to a favorable environment. And she always wrote about them honestly.

Dmitry Mitrokhin Blogger

Irina was a journalist with a capital letter - a vivid example for all Nizhny Novgorod journalists how to work. For several years, she had one news agency that successfully competed with large media holdings. An news agency enclosed in the body of one fragile woman. I always admired her performance, speed, volume of information that she manages to process in order to then issue quite high -quality texts. Honestly, I have never encountered this in Russian journalism - so that one person creates an news agency of a serious level. And she was a very fundamental person - most likely, this led to the tragedy. She could never abandon the principles that she believed.

Pavel Miloslavsky Culture Manager

Irina was an extremely honest man. Probably, inwardly she was afraid of something, but in her actions she was absolutely fearless. And if she was absolutely sure of something, she either achieved this, or uncompromisingly tried to convey her point of view to people. Of course, it was an disappearing appearance of a person who has the concept of honor.

I think [suicide] was an absolutely deliberate step. Judging by the post, which she published yesterday [after the search], she was in her right mind. There is our condition of the swamp when we make some movements, expressing discontent with our country. But really serious actions, as Nemtsov did in due time or as Navalny does ... She probably decided that it was necessary to commit an act in order to draw attention to what is happening in our country and in the city. But what is the act? Examples of such self -immolations are widely known. I think she decided that this would be a very serious event that could somehow unite people dissatisfied with what is happening in the country. And the country is shit, this is already visible.

Dmitry Gudkov is a politician

I knew Irina very well. In 2013, in Nizhny Novgorod, we made the All -Russian headquarters to return direct elections of the mayor. Irina was one of the few journalists who at all covered this. I often gave her an interview-it was such that everyone was forbidden to illuminate the press conference, and only she and a couple of more local journalists arrived. She knew Nemtsov. She was an independent journalist of opposition views, always helped all protest groups, always illuminated all protest promotions.

I heard the following: she was constantly humiliated, the security forces constantly put pressure on her, the eschniks intimidated her. She was very worried about this. She treated these problems when I was a deputy of the State Duma [in 2011-2016]. I am shocked that everything turned out like that. She was simply brought. They brought to suicide. And bringing to suicide is a crime.

How can Irina Slavina be helped by relatives and friends of Irina Slavina collect money for a funeral:

Sberbank

4276 4200 2261 1254

Alexey Viktorovich Murataev (husband)

You can make a subscription on Kozapress here .