Khodorkovsky & Lebedev Communications Center
« HOME

Solidarity concert for political freedom in the Gewandshaus zu Leipzig

Berlin, 02. November 2009. Over 900 guests rose from their seats in the Gewandshaus zu Leipzig last Thursday, as the composer Arvo Pärt embraced Marina Khodorkovskaya. The international star-violinist Gidon Kremer and his Kremerata Baltica moments earlier performed the German premiere of Pärt’s fourth Symphony, dedicated to her son Mikhail Khodorkovsky. In 2005, Khodorkovsky was sentenced to eight years imprisonment in a Siberian labour camp following a politically motivated show trial that drew widespread international criticism. Khodorkovsky is currently on trial again in Moscow. The concert “Reaching out a hand – a musical plea”, was initiated by Gidon Kremer and the composer Giya Kancheli to advocate for those who are fighting for the right to personal and political freedom – often putting their lives at risk.

Leipzig was deliberately chosen by the artists as the venue of the concert in remembrance of the bravery and spirit of those who peacefully fought for democracy and freedom of opinion in that city 20 years ago. Reverend Christian Führer, known for his leading role in the Monday Demonstrations of 1989, opened the evening with an evocative intercessory prayer in which he not only commemorated Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his business associate and fellow sufferer Platon Lebedev, but also the murdered journalists Anna Politkovskaya and Natalya Estemirova as well as human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov.

In addition to Marina Khodorkovskaya, Russian human rights lawyer Yuri Schmidt attended the concert as guest of honour. Politicians of the German Bundestag and the Saxonian parliament as well as representatives of the City of Leipzig were also in attendance. Representatives of the Russian human rights organisation Memorial, Amnesty International and the German-Russian Exchange e.V. were also present. The musicians renounced their wages, with all proceeds going to the Podmoskovny Lyceum, a boarding school close to Moscow which Mikhail Khodorkovsky founded in 1994 to support orphans and children from underprivileged families. The concert aired live in Saxony on radio station MDR Figaro.

World-class musicians for political prisoners

With this solidarity concert, Gidon Kremer sought to encourage the many political prisoners persecuted for their fight for justice and freedom. In an interview with the German Sunday paper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung on October 24, Gidon Kremer explained that Khodorkovsky is a patriot who wanted a better future for his country, that he was persecuted “because his truth is not the truth of the rulers” and that he was convicted in a show trial “as a proxy for many others”.

Many internationally acclaimed musicians accepted Gidon Kremer’s invitation to Leipzig and according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung on October 31, visitors experienced a “memorable evening”. The cellist Heinrich Schiff opened the evening as a soloist with the Kremerata Baltica playing Bruch’s Prayer “Kol Nidrei”, before Roman Kofman conducted Pärt’s fourth Symphony. The second half saw Gidon Kremer play Shostakovich’s Piano Trio in E minor supported by the 22-year old cellist Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, who, according to the Leipziger Volkszeitung of October 30, played sensationally and on par with world-class artists, as well as the great pianist Valery Afanassiev. The concert closed with Kancheli’s “Silent Prayer”, again conducted by Roman Kofman, and performed “heavenly” by soloist Gidon Kremer and the “equal” Giedre Dirvanauskaite playing the cello.

Memorial stone for Mikhail Khodorkovsky

The 25th of October marked the six year anniversary of Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s arrest. After spending nearly four years imprisoned in the Siberian city of Chita, the former head of Yukos has once again been on trial since March of this year. The prosecution is accusing him of having embezzled 350 million tons of crude oil worth US$ 25.4 billion and of having laundered a further US$ 21.4 billion. International observers cannot comprehend the accusation. In a motion passed in July, the German Bundestag expressed its concern about the proceeding and announced it to be a test case for the credibility of the Russian judiciary, already cautioned by President Medvedev.

In the foyer of the Gewandhouse an impressive memorial stone with the image of Khodorkovsky drew attention to the political background of the concert. Concertgoers were encouraged to sign the stone to express their solidarity to the prisoners. On November 9, 2009, the stone will be part of an art installation during the ‘Festival of Freedom’ in Berlin. Over 1,000 giant dominos positioned between the Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate and Potsdamer Platz will fall in commemoration of the historic moment 20 years ago when the Berlin Wall came down. The Committee to Free Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev is sponsoring one of the dominos to enhance awareness around Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s fate. Students of the Berlin School of Fine Arts and Design led by Andrei Krioukov have designed the domino’s motif.

Set against the backdrop of the celebrations in Berlin, the Khodorkovsky-domino will serve as a reminder that it is not only the legacy of the peaceful revolutions 20 years ago but also an obligation to denounce all attacks on freedom such as those that take place in the Khodorkovsky case.

View images from the concert.