Condolences from Grigory Yavlinsky, 3.11.2025

Photo: Valery Borshchev at his home / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

On 3 November, Valery Vasilyevich Borshchev, Soviet dissident, Russian human rights defender, one of the founders of the Yabloko party and leader of its human rights faction, passed away. Yabloko Federal Political Committee Chairman Grigory Yavlinsky expressed condolences in connection with Borshchev’s passing:

Valery Vasilyevich Borshchev has been our loyal and sincere friend, our moral compass, an impeccably honest and decent person. A founder of our party and its organiser from day one. He will remain with us forever.

Valery Borshchev was capable of fearless actions and never made concessions to the demands of the times. In the 1970s, he demonstratively left the newspaper [where he worked] when the editorial office publicly vilified dissidents. He published Christian literature when it was forbidden. He helped prisoners — he was a true human rights defender.

Valery Borshchev was a merciful person: he sympathised with everyone who turned to him for help. Thanks to Borshchev, Public Monitoring Commissions which inspect prisons appeared. How many people did this help to survive the terrible time of imprisonment!

It is very important to us that Valery Borshchev was a loyal Yabloko member, shared and developed our views, created laws that could become a significant step in the development of democracy and religious freedom in our country. Until his last days, Valery Vasilyevich advocated for a ceasefire in the tragic confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, understanding how precious every human life is.

We will remember our friend and colleague and thank him for everything he did. It was a great honour for us to work together with him.

We express our deepest condolences to Valery Borshchev’s family.

Let his memory be eternal.

Valery Borschyov

Co-Chairman of the Moscow Helsinki Group. Co-Chairman of the Human Rights Faction of Yabloko. Member of the Federal Political Committee of Yabloko.