“To Russia With Love” – Berlin Event For Human Rights In Russia
On Monday, October 7, artists and NGOs will come together in Berlin to host “To Russia with Love”, a major event dedicated to the cause of human rights in Russia. The choice of date is poignant, and marks the seventh anniversary of the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, the journalist and government critic.
Renowned violinist Gidon Kremer, conceived the “To Russia with Love” event in order to highlight the intensifying assault on human rights currently being carried out in Russia. Explaining his motivation, Kremer commented: “I am not a politician, but I am next to Alexander Pushkin, who said that his place was on stage and one had to make use of all the ‘goodwill’ one had available as an artist.”
The event will express sympathy and solidarity with victims of the ongoing crackdown, including the peaceful protesters of Bolotnaya Square, arrested and facing trial for taking part in a peaceful, legal demonstration, Sergei Magnitsky, the lawyer who exposed official corruption and was killed in pretrial detention, and Mikhail Khodorkovsky, modern Russia’s longest serving political prisoner. Khodorkovsky is marking the tenth anniversary of his imprisonment later this month.
Music for the evening will include a performance of “Angels of Sorrow”, composed by Giya Kancheli and dedicated to Khodorkovsky for his 50th birthday, which took place earlier this year. As well as music, readings of texts by prominent Russian activists will be performed, including Anna Politkovskaya’s article “What am I guilty of?”, and Khodorkovsky’s closing statement to the court in his second trial.
Before the concert, an NGO information forum will be held, including a a panel discussion exploring the state of human rights and civil society in Russia, featuring Svetlana Gannushkina of Russian human rights NGO Memorial and Peter Franck, Russia expert at the German chapter of Amnesty International. Attendees will be able talk to NGO representatives about their work, and register their support for prisoners of conscience and for the embattled NGOs operating under severe constraints in Russia.
The event is supported by Amnesty International Germany, Stiftung Menschenrechte, Memorial Germany, the German-Russian Exchange, Reporters Without Borders Germany, the Lev Kopelev Forum and Osteuropa magazine.
Admission to the NGO information forum is free. All artists are performing without fee.
- October 7, 2013 at the Chamber Music Hall of the Berlin Philharmonie
- From 6pm, free admission to the NGO information forum
- 6.30pm, panel discussion ”We will not be intimidated – Russia’s civil society under pressure”
- 8pm, concert and readings
With GIDON KREMER & KREMERATA BALTICA, MARTHA ARGERICH, NICOLAS ALTSTAEDT, DANIEL BARENBOIM, KHATIA BUNIATISHVILI, ROMAN KOFMAN, GIYA KANCHELI, SERGEI NAKARYAKOV, EMANUEL PAHUD and SHCHEDRYK CHILDREN’S CHOIR
