July 13, 2023

War Criminal's Event Interrupted by Police


War Criminal's Event Interrupted by Police
Policemen in front of Listva library in St.Petersburg. Listva: Peterburg, Telegram.

On June 9, St. Petersburg police evacuated the ultra-right Listva ("Leaf") Library on the day Igor Strelkov, the self-proclaimed "[man] responsible for the war in Eastern Ukraine," was to give a talk. The Russian nationalist often criticizes Russian leaders for their "insufficiency" in the full-scale war in Ukraine. 

Strelkov, born Igor Vsevolodvich Girkin, worked for the far-right newspaper Zavtra ("Tomorrow") before fighting alongside Russian-backed separatists in Transnistria, Moldova, and Republica Srpska in the Bosnian war. The pro-war activist is accused of partaking in the Višegrad massacre, where thousands of  Bosnian civilians were killed and raped. A Dutch court convicted him in absentia for shooting down Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) in 2014. Afterward, he was dismissed as defense minister of the Russian-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

According to a Telegram post by Listva, it was not the first time the police performed an "evacuation" at the library. And such interruptions of events have occurred elsewhere with anti-war speakers or performers, as with pianist Polina Osetinskaya's concert in Moscow in 2023. However, Yevgeny Prigozhin's uprising has now opened the doors to more police interventions on pro-war public figures like Strelkov.

 

You Might Also Like

Scared and Suspicious
  • July 04, 2023

Scared and Suspicious

Nearly half of Russians distrust official information regarding the war in Ukraine.
Prigozhin's Uprising
  • June 24, 2023

Prigozhin's Uprising

Russia's home-grown mercenaries have taken over Rostov-on-Don and threaten to march on the capital.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

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.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, 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