The Great Britain -
Russia Society

We are an independent, non-political, non-governmental UK-registered charity. We have no connection with the Russian government, the Russian State or any other government or state. Our purpose is to promote a wider and deeper understanding of Russia and its near neighbours and all aspects of their culture, history and politics, so as to enhance understanding between English-speaking people and the people of all these countries.

Alexei Navalny (1976-2024) - A True Hero of Our Time - Statement by the Trustees of the Great Britain-Russia Society - 18th February 2024

The Trustees were deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Alexei Navalny on 16th February. We express our heart-felt condolences to his wife, Yulia, and their two children, Daria and Zakhar, and to his parents, Anatoly and Lyudmila. We would like to extend our condolences for this tragic loss to all the members of Alexei Navalny’s movement and to the Russian people as a whole.

Alexei Navalny - who was the leading critic in Russia of the Putin regime and the war against Ukraine, even from his prison-cell - was a man of outstanding courage and driven by great moral clarity in his leadership of the opposition. A brilliant communicator and campaigner, he was a valiant promoter of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. Fearless in his exposure of corruption at all levels, and the complete antithesis of Putin, Alexei Navalny represented the very best of Russia.

Alexei’s death has deprived the Russian opposition of its best-known and bravest figure. And his death, for which (whatever its precise immediate causes) Putin and his regime are wholly responsible, is a tragedy for the Russian people. The loss to the world of this true hero of our time at the early age of 47 will be deeply mourned by civilised people everywhere.

Alexei will be sorely missed by all those who knew him for his positive outlook, personal magnetism, quick wit and unfailing sense of humour – which continued even during the three years that he languished (in appalling conditions) in prison.

Since his return to Moscow in January 2021 after a bungled attempt to poison him with novichok in August 2020, Alexei Navalny had been incarcerated in increasingly cruel, degrading and inhumane conditions in maximum security prisons, without access to decent medical care. At the time of his death he was serving a sentence of 19 years on various bogus and politically motivated charges. Between August 2022 and his death, Navalny was sent to a SHIZO or punishment isolation cell («Штрафной изолятор») 27 times, where he spent more than 300 days in unbelievably sordid and cramped conditions. His lawyers have also been arrested and imprisoned or forced into exile.

Since 23 December last year, Alexei Navalny had been held in the FKU IK-3 “Polar Wolf” prison- camp, which is notorious for its stringent regime and brutal conditions. This prison-camp is in Kharp in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, in Russia’s far north just beyond the Arctic Circle - where the winter sun never rises. Before his transfer there, all contact with Alexei had been lost for the previous 20 days.

Navalny joins a long list of brave individuals who have spoken up for freedom, truth and justice and who, in consequence, have been silenced by the regime - including Anna Politkovskaya (2006), Alexander Litvinenko (2006), Sergei Magnitsky (2009), and Boris Nemtsov (2015), to name just four of the best-known victims of the regime.

In the powerful and moving documentary film about him, Navalny (directed by Daniel Roher and released in 2022), Navalny was asked what his supporters should do if he suddenly died.

Navalny’s clear and simple message to his supporters was: “If they kill me, don’t give up.”

He also pointed out that “If they decide to kill me, it means we are incredibly strong at that moment...”. And he reinforced his message by reminding the world that “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.”

Alexei Navalny’s death is a tragedy for his family, for Russia and for the world. But, as Sarah Rainsford has reminded us: “Navalny never abandoned his hope and belief in what his team called “The Beautiful Russia of the Future” («Прекрасная Россия Будущего»).

There are many other, less well-known people of courage and integrity in Russia who also oppose the present regime and would like to see a better Russia, who are deserving of support. They will be inspired by Navalny’s legacy.

Let us not give up our belief in the values which Alexei Navalny fought for and for which he paid with his life. And let us not give up hope that there will be a free and democratic Russia in the future.

 

The War in Ukraine: Statement by the Trustees of the Great Britain–Russia Society – 12th August 2022 

The Trustees of the Great Britain-Russia Society unreservedly reiterate their earlier condemnation of Russia's unjustified and brutal invasion of Ukraine, which is deliberately inflicting a humanitarian catastrophe of staggering proportions on Ukraine and its people. The way in which Russia is conducting its campaign of death and destruction is appalling and has brought untold suffering to many millions of people in Ukraine (and many Russians are also affected). We continue to support wholeheartedly the ruling issued by the International Court of Justice on 16th March 2022 which ordered Russia to halt its invasion immediately and support the Ukrainian government's call for all perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity to be brought to justice. Most regrettably, the war has been going on for over five months, and it is at present difficult to see any prospect of it being brought to a conclusion in the near term.

In these circumstances, the Trustees consider that it is more important than ever that we focus on fulfilling the Society’s charitable objective of promoting a wider and deeper understanding of Russia and its near neighbours in a thoughtful and conscientious way, so as to enhance understanding between English-speaking people and the people of all these countries. This means that we should use our very best endeavours to ensure that, for example, when inviting speakers, selecting articles for publication in East-West Review, and posting items of potential interest or concern on this website, so far as possible a fair and accurate picture of the war in Ukraine is provided, which may include, where this is justified and appropriate, criticism of the Russian government and its armed forces.

The Trustees also consider that it is vitally important to reflect the views of – and give a voice to - Russians, both inside and outside Russia, who oppose the war and the present government, whether they are opposition politicians, political analysts, journalists, writers and other cultural figures or academics.  Additionally, we believe it is appropriate to continue to provide an insight into the culture, history and politics of Russia more widely, as well as of its near neighbours, again so as to enhance understanding between peoples. 

The Trustees will continue to highlight on this website independent sources of information which are not subject to the controls imposed by the present government of the Russian Federation. 

Please see the links to such independent sources of information, including about the war, which are available in Sources of current information between About Us and Activities on this site.

The Trustees will do their utmost to ensure that a balance is maintained in our talks, in the contents of East-West Review and on our website between consideration of these issues and coverage of issues relating directly or indirectly to the war. The Trustees will welcome - and be open to considering - any constructive suggestions from members as to positive ways in which the Society might develop in the light of the unprecedented situation which has been created by Russia’s invasion and its continuing war in Ukraine.

 

Statement of Solidarity by the Trustees of the Great Britain–Russia Society in Support of Independent Journalists – 17th December 2022

Russia’s horrific and inhumane war against Ukraine continues, against a backdrop of continuous disinformation by the Kremlin’s propaganda machine and wholesale suppression of the right to freedom of expression in Russia – where it is a criminal offence to describe the war as such.

Never has the role of independent media organisations – who have been forced to operate outside Russia - been more important.

We would like to highlight four such organisations in particular who feature on our website: Novaya Gazeta Europe, Meduza, Moscow Times and The Kyiv Independent - Click here for more information

The brave men and women who are working as journalist for these organisations and fearlessly providing accurate news coverage at great risk to themselves deserve our support.  We stand in solidarity with these journalists, the independent news outlets for whom they work and those who support them. We hope that they will continue to fight for their right to freedom of speech and continue their hugely important work as independent journalists in providing truthful and accurate news coverage.

 

Sentence Imposed on Vladimir Kara-Murza – Statement by the Trustees of the Great BritainRussia Society 22nd April 2023

The Trustees unreservedly condemn the appalling and wholly unjust sentencing of Vladimir Kara-Murza on 17 April by Judge Sergei Podoprigovorov in Moscow to 25 years in prison for speaking out against Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. This brutality has marked Russia’s entire campaign against Ukraine, and opponents of the war are now feeling its full effects.

Mr. Kara-Murza, a history graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge and a citizen of the UK as well as Russia, was a protégé and supporter/political associate of Boris Nemtsov (the former senior Russian government minister, opposition politician and outspoken critic of President Putin who was assassinated in February 2015). He played a key role in securing the passage of the US Magnitsky legislation in 2012 and is yet another target of the Kremlin’s escalating campaign of repression.  His courage and integrity cannot be praised too highly. Before his imprisonment, Kara-Murza had been poisoned on two separate occasions, in 2015 and 2017.

We wholeheartedly support the calls which have been made for Mr. Kara-Murza’s immediate release, as well aas the immediate release of the more than 400 political prisoners in Russia.

The Trustees wish to express their solidarity with Vladimir Kara-Murza and all the brave advocates of a brighter future for Russia who are being held without justification, including Aleksei Navalny, Ilya Yashin, and the many others who serve their country and their fellow citizens at great personal cost by courageously standing up for human rights.  

Since his return to Moscow in January 2021 after an unsuccessful attempt to poison him with Novichok in August 2020, Alexei Navalny has been held in cruel and inhumane conditions in a maximum security prison, where he is currently serving a sentence of 11 years on various politically motivated charges. The authorities are now preparing new criminal charges against him, which are likely to result in another five years being added to his sentence. In the meantime, Navalny’s health is in a critical state, amid concerns that the prison authorities may be slowly poisoning him

Ilya Yashin was sentenced in December 2022 for 8 years for “discrediting the armed forces”. His appeal against sentence was rejected on 19 April.

In his final defence statement in court on 10 April Vladimir Kara-Murza spoke in the following eloquent terms, which resonate very powerfully in the current circumstances:

"Not only do I not repent of any of this, I am proud of it...I support every word that I have spoken and every word of which I have been accused by this court. I blame myself for only one thing: that over the years of my political activity I have not managed to convince enough of my compatriots and enough politicians in the democratic countries of the danger that the current regime in the Kremlin poses for Russia and for the world. Today this is obvious to everyone, but at a terrible price – the price of war."

 

 

  

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  • Annual Members Meeting
    6:00pm
    This year’s Annual Members Meeting (AMM) will again be an in-person event, with attendance also possible by Zoom. This will be a free-standing (non-chargeable) event, like last year’s AMM – thereby giving us more time together as members of the Society. The formal AMM itself will be from 6.00-7.00 pm, but members are welcome to join the Committee beforehand for tea or coffee from 5.30 pm onwards. If you would like to attend the AMM, it would be very much appreciated if you would book, whether to attend in person or by Zoom, by Friday, 8 March. The agenda and papers (i.e. the Trustees’ Report & Accounts) for the AMM will be mailed by 15 March (only) to those who have booked by 8 March. The AMM will be immediately followed by a social event, which is advertised on the website as a separately bookable event.
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