Kira Yarmysh

Alexei Navalny's spokeswoman and writer (born 1989)

Кира Ярмыш
Yarmysh in 2023
Born
Kira Aleksandrovna Yarmysh

(1989-10-11) October 11, 1989 (age 34)
Rostov-on-Don, Soviet Union
Alma materMoscow State Institute of International RelationsOccupation(s)Spokesperson, assistant, writer, activistEmployer(s)Alexei Navalny, Anti-Corruption Foundation

Kira Aleksandrovna Yarmysh (Russian: Кира Александровна Ярмыш, IPA: [ˈkʲirə ˈjarmɨʂ]; born October 11, 1989) is a Russian public figure and writer. She is the former press secretary and assistant of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the author of the 2020 novel Incredible Incidents in Women's Cell No. 3 [ru].[a][1]

Biography

Kira Yarmysh was born in Rostov-on-Don on October 11, 1989 into a Jewish family.[2] In 2007, she entered the Faculty of International Journalism [ru] of Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) without exams, having won the University Challenge [ru] Olympiad. After graduation, she worked in the press services of the Pushkin Museum in Moscow and Utair airline. In 2013, she took part in the election campaign of Alexei Navalny, who ran for mayor of Moscow.[3] In August 2014, she became the press secretary of Navalny and the press secretary of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK). Navalny wrote in this regard: "It was important for us that the press sec had a strange surname."[4]

In 2017, Yarmysh was co-host of several editions of the Navalny 20:18 programme, and made anti-corruption statements on her behalf. In particular, she published a video in which she said that Putin's friend Mikhail Kovalchuk "owns all television"; later Yarmysh acknowledged factual errors in the video and deleted it.[5]

In February 2018, Yarmysh was arrested for 5 days for a retweet that "formed a negative opinion of another candidate" in the Russian presidential elections;[6][7] in May of the same year, a court of Moscow ordered a 25-day administrative arrest for tweets made two days before Vladimir Putin's inauguration about the action "He's Not our Tsar".[8][9][10]

On January 21, 2021, for calling for rallies in support of Alexei Navalny, she was detained by Russian authorities along with her associates Lyubov Sobol and Georgy Alburov.[11][12][13] She was jailed for 9 days on charges of organizing public events without notifying the authorities.[14] On February 1, 2021, Kira was placed under house arrest.[15] The human rights organisation Memorial recognized her as a political prisoner.[16] Yarmysh fled Russia in 2021 after being convicted for calling for protests against Navalny's arrest.[17]

Literary activity

On October 26, 2020, the Corpus [ru] publishing house published a novel by Kira Yarmysh titled "Incredible Incidents in Women's Cell No. 3" (Russian: Невероятные происшествия в женской камере № 3).[18] The main heroine of the book is the girl Anya, who ended up in a special detention center for participating in an anti-corruption rally. The novel is based on the author's personal experience; Alexei Navalny said that he was the one who convinced Yarmysh to write the book.[19]

Russian writer Dmitry Bykov called "Incredible Incidents ..." "a funny and fascinating prison novel", the author of which spoke "about the most important and painful thing — about the very new Russia that managed to be born, grow up and take place in spite of everything." According to Russian writer Boris Akunin, this is "a very timely book", the text of which is "much more alive than that of Gorky."[20][21][22] Literary critic Galina Yuzefovich called the novel "very personal, deeply universal, very fascinating and truly relevant," characterizing at the metaphorical level the nature of the relationship between man and state machine in Putin's Russia.[23]

Personal life

Yarmysh married in 2015 but later divorced. She was in a relationship with Ruslan Shaveddinov, FBK's project manager.[24]

Bibliography

  • Yarmysh, Kira (February 7, 2023). The Incredible Events in Women's Cell Number 3. Grove Press. ISBN 978-0-8021-6073-7. [25]

See also

References

  1. ^ Also known as The Curious Events in Women’s Cell #3. Russian: Невероятные происшествия в женской камере № 3
  1. ^ Luxmoore, Matthew (March 23, 2021). "Claims Of Censorship As Moscow Book Fair Scraps Appearance By Navalny Aide". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  2. ^ "Кира Ярмыш: биография, личная жизнь, деятельность" [Kira Yarmysh: biography, personal life, activities]. zhizn-zvezd.ru (in Russian). Жизнь звёзд. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  3. ^ Reiter, Svetlana (July 29, 2020). "Каково это — быть пиар-советником политика, который поругался c половиной журналистов? Интервью пресс-секретаря Алексея Навального Киры Ярмыш" [What's it like — to be a public relations adviser to a politician who had a fight with half of the journalists? Interview of the press secretary of Alexei Navalny Kira Yarmysh]. Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  4. ^ Andreev, Kirill (August 2, 2014). "Новым пресс-секретарём Алексея Навального стала ростовчанка Кира Ярмыш" [Kira Yarmysh from Rostov became the new press secretary of Alexei Navalny]. donnews.ru (in Russian). Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  5. ^ Gatinsky, Andrey; Rudyak, Anna (May 26, 2017). "В фонде Навального извинились за ошибки в ролике о Ковальчуке" [The Navalny's Foundation apologized for the mistakes in the video about Kovalchuk]. rbc.ru (in Russian). RBK Group. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  6. ^ "Navalny Supporters Jailed Across Russia After Boycott Action". The Moscow Times. February 1, 2018. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  7. ^ Matsnev, Oleg (February 1, 2018). "Aides to Russian Opposition Leader Sentenced to Jail (Published 2018)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  8. ^ Lokshina, Tanya (May 23, 2018). "From Kids to Leaders, Russia Cracks Down on Protesters". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  9. ^ "Navalny Press Secretary, TV Show Host 'Detained Again'". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. May 22, 2018. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  10. ^ "Russia cracks down on opposition activists after protests". France 24. Moscow. May 24, 2018. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  11. ^ Tétrault-Farber, Gabrielle; Balmforth, Tom; Marrow, Alexander; Rodionov, Maxim; Zverev, Anton; Grabar, Maria (January 21, 2021). Graff, Peter (ed.). "Russia rounds up allies of Kremlin foe Navalny in protest warning". Reuters. David Gregorio (ed.). Moscow. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  12. ^ "European Parliament calls for halt on Nord Stream 2 construction after Navalny arrest". Deutsche Welle. January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  13. ^ Baklanov, Alexander (January 21, 2021). "Police arrest Navalny's associates in Moscow ahead of planned opposition rallies". Meduza. Translated by Eilish Hart. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  14. ^ "Navalny Allies Jailed, Fined as Russia Vows Protest Crackdown". The Moscow Times. January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  15. ^ "Russian Court Orders House Arrest Of Navalny Spokeswoman Until March 23". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  16. ^ ""Мемориал» считает политзаключёнными десять оппозиционеров, обвиняемых по «санитарному делу"" [Memorial considers ten oppositionists accused in a "sanitary case" as political prisoners]. Memorial (society) (in Russian). February 8, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  17. ^ Times, The Moscow (March 22, 2022). "Navalny Sentenced to 9 More Years in Prison". The Moscow Times. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  18. ^ "Пресс-секретарь Алексея Навального Кира Ярмыш написала роман — "Невероятные происшествия в женской камере № 3" "Медуза" публикует фрагмент этой книги" [Press secretary of Alexei Navalny Kira Yarmysh wrote a novel — "Incredible incidents in women's cell № 3" "Meduza" publishes a fragment of this book]. Meduza. October 30, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  19. ^ Navalny, Alexei (November 3, 2020). "Невероятные происшествия в женской камере №3" [Incredible Incidents in Women's Cell №3]. navalny.com (in Russian). Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  20. ^ "Кира Ярмыш "Невероятные происшествия в женской камере № 3"" [Kira Yarmysh "Incredible Incidents in the Women's Cell No. 3"]. Corpus Publishing (in Russian). Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  21. ^ "Пресс-секретарь Навального выпустила дебютный роман об узницах спецприемника – с "мистикой, политикой и любовью"" [Navalny's press secretary released her debut novel about the prisoners of a special detention center – with "mysticism, politics and love"]. NEWSru (in Russian). November 3, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  22. ^ "Секретарь Навального выпустила свой первый роман о женском спецприёмнике" [Navalny's secretary released her first novel about a female detention center]. kulturologia.ru (in Russian). November 4, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  23. ^ Yuzefovich, Galina (December 12, 2020). ""Невероятные происшествия в женской камере № 3" — актуальный роман о девушке, случайно попавшей в спецприемник Галина Юзефович — о дебютной книге пресс-секретаря Навального Киры Ярмыш" ["Incredible Incidents in Women's Cell No. 3" — a topical novel about a girl who accidentally ended up in a special detention center Galina Yuzefovich — about the debut book of Navalny's press secretary Kira Yarmysh]. Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  24. ^ Polovinko, Vyacheslav; Dokshin, Vlad (December 25, 2020). "Сейчас приедет такой Шаведдинов, будьте осторожны" [Now Shaveddinov will come, be careful]. Novaya Gazeta (in Russian). Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  25. ^ Garner, Dwight (February 6, 2023). "Conversations With Friends, in a Russian Jail Cell". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
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