When I visited Moscow, the weather was relatively clear, leading tourists to flock to Red Square. An usually large number gathered not on the square itself, but along Bolshoy Moskovorestky Bridge, overlooking the walls of the Kremlin. There, along several hundred feet of sidewalk, lay countless flowers, posters and candles in memory of the recently murdered opposition figure Boris Nemtsov. Some laid flowers at the location of his shooting, others observed silently, and nearby a Ukrainian journalist spoke rapidly to her small camera team. Two police officers sat in a squad car on the curb, evidently bored. I walked along the monument, snapping photos as I went.
Here a handmade sign reads “Nemtsov Bridge”, a name now commonly used to refer to the location and immortalize its significance.
A sign makes a reference to the immensely popular Russian film ‘Brother 2’, specifically the protagonist Danila Bagrov's most widely known quote: "Power is in truth; whoever is right is strong.” The sign reads, ”Rage and pain: Boris Nemtsov is no more. But there is a truth, the words of Nemtsov. There is not a bullet, nor a grave, for truth. As 'Brother' said, in truth there is power."
An adjacent sign depicts Nemtsov shaking hands with fellow opposition leader Alexei Navalny, with the caption "I know that spring will still come."
Presenting at the Oslo Freedom Forum, Nemtsov’s cousin and close friend Igor Eidman explained how Nemtsov’s vocal criticism of Putin and his regime had led to his death. Later, in conversation, Eidman would tell me that he himself had left Russia because of the same political climate that had resulted in his cousin’s death.
The investigation of Nemtsov’s murder continues. Many in the opposition place the blame directly on Putin, while others cite connections to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and still more point rather to the political environment and propaganda, endlessly repeating the message that opposition figures are fifth columnists, foreign agents bent on the capitulation of Russia to the West. Whatever the case, his death is a massive loss for the progressive elements in Russia, and continues to be both a rallying cry and message of warning for Putin’s most active critics.
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