Anna Politkovskaya facts for kids

In this article, the patronymic is Stepanovna and the family name is Politkovskaya or Mazepa.

Quick facts for kids Anna Politkovskaya
Анна Политковская
Politkovskaya during a March 2005 interview in Leipzig, Germany
Born	Anna Stepanovna Mazepa (1958-08-30)30 August 1958 New York City, U.S.
Died	7 October 2006(2006-10-07) (aged 48)
Cause of death	Assassination
Resting place	Troyekurovskoye Cemetery, Moscow
Nationality	Russian
Citizenship	Russia, United States
Alma mater	Moscow State University
Occupation	Journalist, writer
Spouse(s)	Alexander Politkovsky
Children	2
Writing career
Period	1982–2006
Subject	Politics, freedom of the press, human rights, social issues
Notable works	Putin's Russia: Life in a Failing Democracy, A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya
Notable awards	Amnesty International Global Award for Human Rights Journalism 2001

Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya (née Mazepa; 30 August 1958 – 7 October 2006) was a brave Russian journalist and human rights activist. She wrote about important political events in Russia. She was especially known for her reports on the Second Chechen War (1999–2005).

Her reporting from Chechnya made Anna famous both in Russia and around the world. For seven years, she kept reporting on the war, even though she faced many threats and dangerous situations. She was even arrested by Russian forces in Chechnya and faced a fake execution. Once, she was poisoned while flying to help with a hostage crisis, but she recovered.

Her articles about Chechnya were later turned into books. Russian readers could find her investigations in Novaya Gazeta, a newspaper known for its critical reporting. From 2000 onwards, she received many international awards for her work. In 2004, she published Putin's Russia, sharing her personal views on Russia with people in other countries.

On 7 October 2006, Anna Politkovskaya was murdered in the elevator of her apartment building. This terrible event caught international attention. Years later, five men were sent to prison for her murder. However, it is still not clear who ordered or paid for her killing.

Anna's Early Life and Education

Anna Mazepa Politkovskaya was born in New York City in 1958. Her parents were Soviet diplomats working for the United Nations. They were from Ukraine. Anna spent most of her childhood in Moscow.

She studied journalism at Moscow State University and graduated in 1980. There, she met and married Alexander Politkovsky. They had two children, Vera and Ilya. Anna was also a U.S. citizen and had a U.S. passport, but she kept her Russian citizenship too.

Her Brave Journalism Work

Anna Politkovskaya worked as a reporter and editor for different newspapers. From 1999 to 2006, she wrote columns for Novaya Gazeta. This newspaper was known for its strong investigative reporting and often criticized the government. She wrote several award-winning books about Chechnya and life in Russia.

Reporting from Chechnya

Anna won many awards for her work. She used these chances to ask Western governments to care more about the situation in Russia. She spoke with officials, military members, and police. She also often visited hospitals and refugee camps in Chechnya and Ingushetia. There, she interviewed people who were hurt or had lost their homes because of the fighting.

In her many articles, Anna criticized the war in Chechnya. She wrote about serious problems and abuses. She described how Russian military forces, Chechen rebels, and the local government treated people. She also wrote about human rights issues in other parts of the North Caucasus. For example, in 1999, she helped elderly people in a bombed-out home in Grozny get to safety. Her articles showed how the conflict harmed everyone involved.

Anna reported that the peace in Chechnya, under new leaders, involved widespread torture and abductions. One of her last investigations was about many Chechen schoolchildren who became ill from a strange chemical substance.

Criticizing Vladimir Putin

After Anna became well-known in other countries, she wrote Putin's Russia. This book shared her experiences and views after Vladimir Putin became Russia's President. It included his actions in the Second Chechen War. She wrote about her concerns for the future of Russia.

A Russian Diary

In 2007, after her death, Anna's book A Russian Diary was published. It contained notes and writings from her notebooks. The book covered the period from December 2003 to August 2005. It included her thoughts on the "death of Russian parliamentary democracy" and the Beslan school hostage crisis.

The journalist Jon Snow wrote in the book's foreword that Anna's murder took away a vital source of information. He hoped her book would help people understand the challenges in Russia.

Trying to Help Hostages

Anna Politkovskaya was involved in trying to free hostages during the Moscow theatre hostage crisis in 2002. In September 2004, when over a thousand people were taken hostage in a school in Beslan, she tried to fly there to help. However, she became very sick on the plane, possibly from poisoning, and had to return to Moscow.

Facing Dangers

Anna often received threats because of her work. Her colleague, Vyacheslav Izmailov, said that Anna had faced death at least nine times before her murder. Anna admitted she was afraid, but she felt responsible for the people who gave her information. She knew that speaking out could be very dangerous.

Detention in Chechnya

In 2001, Anna was held by military officials in a Chechen village. She was investigating complaints about "punitive raids" by federal forces. She interviewed a grandmother who had been beaten and tortured. Anna herself was detained, questioned, and treated badly. Her recordings were taken away.

Poisoning Incident

In September 2004, while flying to help with the Beslan hostage crisis, Anna became very ill and lost consciousness. This happened after she drank tea given to her by a flight attendant. It was believed she had been poisoned.

Threats from a Police Officer

In 2001, Anna had to leave Russia for a short time because a police officer she had accused of abuses in Chechnya was looking for revenge. This officer was later convicted and jailed for torturing a civilian. Some thought her murder might have been revenge for her role in his conviction.

Conflict with Ramzan Kadyrov

In 2004, Anna had a tense conversation with Ramzan Kadyrov, who was then the Prime Minister of Chechnya. One of his assistants told her she should have been shot. Kadyrov himself said, "You're an enemy. To be shot...." On the day she was murdered, Anna had planned to publish a long story about torture practices in Chechnya. In her last interview, she called Kadyrov the "Chechen Stalin of our days."

Murder and Investigation

Near her house, Moscow, 2006

Grave of Anna Politkovskaya at the Troyekurovskoye Cemetery in Moscow

Some people believed that Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov or his men might have been behind Anna Politkovskaya's murder.

Anna Politkovskaya was found dead in the elevator of her apartment building in central Moscow on 7 October 2006. This was also President Putin's birthday. Her death caused a huge international outcry.

Her funeral was held on 10 October 2006. More than a thousand people came to pay their respects. Many of her colleagues and admirers were there. No high-ranking Russian officials attended the ceremony. Anna was buried near her father.

In May 2007, a collection of Anna's articles was published. A few months later, 10 men were arrested in connection with her murder.

The Trials

In October 2008, four men were put on trial. Three were accused of helping the killer. The fourth, a former FSB colonel, was suspected of organizing the murder. The trial was open to the public. In February 2009, all three men were found not guilty.

However, in August 2009, the Supreme Court ordered a new trial. In December 2012, a former policeman, Dmitry Pavliuchenkov, was found guilty and sentenced to 11 years in prison. He was accused of being a main organizer.

In May 2014, five men were convicted of murdering Anna Politkovskaya. This included three brothers from Chechnya. One of them was accused of shooting her. In June 2014, two of the men received life sentences. But even after these convictions, it is still not known who ordered or paid for the killing.

Murder Remains Unsolved

In September 2016, a spokesperson for the Investigative Committee claimed the murder had been solved. However, Anna's colleagues at Novaya Gazeta disagreed. They said the case was not truly closed until the person who ordered or sponsored the crime was found and punished. They released a video stating, "The sponsor of Anna's murder has not been found."

Documentaries and Films

In 2008, a documentary called Anna, Seven Years on the Frontline was made about her.
Another film from 2008, Letter to Anna, included interviews with her family.
In 2011, A Bitter Taste of Freedom was a documentary about her life.
A biographical film titled Anna began filming in 2022, with Maxine Peake playing Anna Politkovskaya.

Awards and Honors

Anna Politkovskaya received many awards for her brave journalism and human rights work. Some of these include:

2001: "Golden Pen Prize" of the Russian Union of Journalists
2001: Amnesty International Global Award for Human Rights Journalism
2002: PEN American Center Freedom to Write Award
2002: International Women's Media Foundation Courage in Journalism Award
2004: Olof Palme Prize
2005: Civil Courage Prize
2007: UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize (given after her death)

A street in Prague is named Anna Politkovskaya Promenade.

Anna Politkovskaya Promenade in Prague.

Anna Politkovskaya Award

The international human rights group RAW in WAR (Reach All Women in War) created the annual Anna Politkovskaya Award in her honor in 2006. This award recognizes women human rights defenders who, like Anna, stand up for victims in conflict zones, often at great personal risk.

The first award was given on the one-year anniversary of Anna's murder to her friend and colleague, Chechen activist Natalia Estemirova. Natalia herself was later abducted and killed in 2009 for her human rights work.

Journalism Prize "Anna Politkovskaja" (Ferrara, Italy)

There is also a journalism prize named "Anna Politkovskaja" awarded every year in Ferrara, Italy.

Images for kids

Slogans protesting the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine on a memorial to Politkovskaya at the Garden of the Righteous in Warsaw