Press Release, 19 January 2026

Photo: Portraits of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova / Photo by Moscow Yabloko

19 January 2026 marked 17 years since the murder of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova – prominent leaders of the anti-fascist movement. They were shot dead on Prechistenka Street in Moscow by activists from a far-right extremist organisation. On the anniversary of this tragedy, Yabloko leaders and supporters laid flowers at the site where Markelov and Baburova were killed, after which party Chairman Nikolai Rybakov appealed to the Mayor of Moscow demanding the installation of a memorial plaque on Prechistenka.

Dozens of Yabloko members and party supporters gathered on 19 January to honour the memory of Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova. Speaking after a minute of  silence and the laying of flowers, many emphasised that any xenophobic or nationalist sentiment ends in tragedy, and that this must never be forgotten. Today, when far-right sentiments have been increasingly voiced in the public sphere, remembering the victims of neo-Nazis means fighting against any manifestation of intolerance represents a duty for everyone.

Lawyer Stanislav Markelov and Novaya Gazeta journalist Anastasia Baburova were shot dead by the leader of the neo-Nazi group “Combat Organisation of Russian Nationalists”, Nikita Tikhonov. His accomplice in this monstrous crime was the murderer’s common-law wife, Yevgenia Khasis. They were tried by a jury, which concluded that the far-right radical had shot the lawyer because of his political views, and the journalist as a witness. As a result of the trial, Tikhonov was sentenced to life imprisonment, whilst Khasis received 18 years, later reduced to 17 years in a penal colony (she was released at the end of 2025).

Every year on the anniversary of the tragedy, hundreds of people come to Prechistenka 3. Memorial events and flower-laying at the site where the two young, brilliant and courageous anti-fascists died take place throughout the day. Yabloko holds a memorial event at Prechistinka 3 every year.

Photo: Yabloko delegation at the site of the tragedy on 19 Juanuary, 2026 / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Thus, on the 17th anniversary of the tragedy, those who came to Prechistenka included member of the party’s Federal Political Committee and head of Yabloko’s Analytical Centre Ivan Bolshakov, Chairman of the Moscow branch of the party Kirill Goncharov, Deputy Chairman of Moscow Yabloko Yuri Shein, member of the Federal Bureau Andrei Morev, and members of the regional Bureau Alexander Bushnev, Andrei Lazarev and Denis Bolshakov.

Ivan Bolshakov emphasised that the memorial event for Markelov and Baburova is a reminder that nationalism kills:

“Nationalism is a dangerous political ideology that leads to hatred and violence. In a modern state, there is no place for xenophobia and nationalism, no matter how hard supporters of  ‘making something great again’ try to present it in a different light.”

Kirill Goncharov noted that such memorial events in 2026, “when hatred and intolerance are raising their heads again”, are particularly important:

“I am grateful to everyone who comes, who remembers, who does not want to allow the restoration of those times when people in the country were killed for dissent. The tragedy whose victims we remember today is an example of how destructive nationalism is for society and for individual courageous people.”

Andrei Morev told that dividing people according to any criteria is unacceptable:

“Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova fought against xenophobia, which breeds the basest feelings in society. And today, when far-right forces are once again making themselves heard and trying to become mainstream, we must remember the people who laid down their lives in the struggle for human rights regardless of their nationality. And we must not allow xenophobia to grow in society.”

Photo: Member of the party’s Moscow Bureau Denis Bolshakov / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Many of the participants of the action pointed to the need to install a memorial plaque at the site of the tragedy – an idea that Yabloko has put forward more than once, yet there has been neither a memorial plaque nor, even less so, any monument in memory of the victims of neo-Nazism for almost two decades.

In connection with this, Yabloko Chairman Nikolai Rybakov sent a new appeal on 19 January to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin requesting the installation of a memorial plaque at the site where Markelov and Baburova were killed. A memorial plaque on Prechistenka would represent an important step towards preserving memory, respecting human dignity, and preventing xenophobia and violence, Rybakov stressed:

“Moscow is a city in which respect for human life and human rights must be expressed not only declaratively, but actively, through concrete decisions of public significance. A memorial plaque at the site of Markelov and Baburova’s murder would be not merely a sign of grief; it would be an important civic symbol: a reminder of the value of human life, of the inadmissibility of violence, and of the necessity of resisting extremism and hatred.”

Photo: The site of Markelov and Baburova’s murder. 19 January, 2026 / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

It should be noted that on the eve of this tragic anniversary, unidentified persons in Moscow destroyed a memorial plaque installed in memory of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya. She was murdered in the apartment block on Lesnaya Street 8/12,  where she lived, on 7 October 2006. The memorial plaque was located on that building. Every year, Yabloko party members, journalists and human rights defenders come to this building on 7 October to honour Politkovskaya’s memory. On 18 January 2026, Yabloko Chairman Nikolai Rybakov sent an urgent appeal to the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Moscow, demanding an immediate investigation into the act of vandalism and the initiation of criminal proceedings.