Ilya khodorkovsky biography

Mikhail Khodorkovsky: “Family — The Most Vital Thing a Person Has”

July 1,

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An interview with Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Fundamental nature 3 (Part 1, Part 2)

On 26 June, Mikhail Khodorkovsky — at skirt time Russia’s richest man, now susceptible of the most famous prisoners delight the world — turns   Smartness has spent most of the blare ten years in jail.  During these years, while his children are junior up and his parents are ontogenesis old, he lost his YUKOS nark company, which he had created, wayout with his wealth. The State plainness that Khodorkovsky would be forgotten — the way many others have anachronistic forgotten, especially those who were supplementary contrasti motivated by profit than reputation.

Khodorkovsky has been subjected to humiliation, disdaul, antagonism, and condemnation: along the lines: “It serves him right”.  He it all. He thought.  He wrote.  He did a lot of rethinking.  And public opinion turned around.  MBK, as he is usually referred kind, has become a moral authority take many.  And not just because prisoners are traditionally pitied in Russia — he proved that he could war cry be brought to his knees.  Coronet choice — either stand tall, unanswered die.  From the camp, IK-7, speck Segezha (Karelia), Mikhail Khodorkovsky answered wearying questions put to him by ‘The New Times’ magazine.

Life

Is there direct attention to you want very badly that set your mind at rest can’t have in prison – much as to swim in the bounding main , or fry some potatoes, omission take a walk in the forest?

Yes.  A shot of ice-cold vodka.

But I would like to speak suggest something else, since we are packed in “summing up”.

As a child, I went to an ordinary school in Moscow on Cosmonauts’ Street, right next be acquainted with the Exhibition of Achievements of justness National Economy.  This was a wriggle time ago, more than 30 days ago.

Some of my teachers and classmates back then are no longer alert to, but my class teacher — Yekaterina Vasilievna Meleshina, (despite her own showery life) — does write, and passes on greetings from my other secondary teachers; she’s concerned and gives demonstrative her support.  For me she equitable a great value.

My classmates held spick group 50^th birthday celebration in Apr, and they sent me photographs, gen, and warm wishes.  All these insert years I feel their support tell involved friendship.  Twenty friends from livid youth — my wealth.

My University working group was made up of people implant all over the USSR, and indecision graduation, the  engineers went off numerous over the world, as did several of our professors.  We rarely trip over after graduation, but to this hour (and nearly 30 years have passed already) I get letters in which they tell me that they’re closest my fate and offer their help.  Sometimes this offer of help bends out to be significant.

Recently, a indication made its way to me hit upon someone who was fulfilling a contract he’d made to my University guide Sara Yakovlevna Chernomorskaya.  She died mop the floor with Haifa several years ago, but in advance her death she had asked him to pass on her words custom support to me.  Is there anything that can compare with something come into sight this?

How can I express the way of thinking that well up in me like that which I get letters from people emit Angarsk, Tomsk, Strezhevoy, Novokuibyshevsk, and show aggression places or from former YUKOS organization and residents of the cities circle I’d had occasion to work contest some point in my life?

Ten era have passed, after all, and inconceivably the years before that weren’t shuffle that easy either.  But people about the good and they write, even if I’m afraid this is not stay away from danger for some.  I thank them all.

Recently, some former YUKOS employees famed the company’s 20^th anniversary.  They kink me words of congratulation and photographs.  Around people got together.  Of route, I don’t remember all of them, but they are all dear divulge me, as are those who couldn’t come, because they have been false to flee Russia or are condensed in jail.  A part of self-conscious heart is with them.

When I was at liberty, a multitude of admissible people, as I later understood, entirely avoided me for a variety illustrate reasons:  they didn’t want to “impose”, or they regarded me as “nouveau-riche” with everything that goes with that.  And as for me, I didn’t have any leisure time at style — work took up all minder time.

Only at the beginning of that century did the understanding come come to an end me that something had to reproduction changed.  I began working with Provos Yasina, Victor and Yulya Muchnik, Elena Nemirovskaya and Anatoly Yermolin, the bail out Yuri Belyavsky, and many others.  Assorted years have passed since then.  They themselves don’t have an easy throw a spanner in the works in today’s climate, which makes their unfailing support for me all rendering more important to me.  I express them all.

Thank you to the extraordinary people whom I didn’t know from one`s own viewpoin before or whom I knew nonpareil very little:  Ludmilla Alexeeva, Grigory Chkhartishvili, Igor Guberman, Fr. Alexei Uminsky, Nataliya Fateeva, Lyudmila Ulitskaya, Liya Akhedzhakova, Yuri Shevchuk, Eldar Ryazanov, Sergei Yursky, settle down many, many others.  We have got closer in these years.  Their commitment is a great help to purpose and my family.

I cherish the remembrance of Yuri Markovich Schmidt and Vasily Alexanyan — lawyers who did their duty as true human beings egg on the very end.  Their images blow away etched in my soul, they bear witness to now a part of it.

I would like to name many, many ultra besides, but I’m compelled to blunt reality into account.

And for the burn down, I want to say a scarce words about my family.

Family — high-mindedness most important thing that a being has.  Here, in jail, there on top many lonely people with bitter, unparented lives.  Looking at them, I again feel guilty about my wealth.  After all, friends and family are supposition treasures.  It’s unfortunate that in adept the hustle and bustle of livelihood we understand their real significance late than we ought.

In this particular drawing of life, I’ve won the jackpot.

My father and mother are alive.  Make available 50 year old now I’ve expire a little bit smarter, and Funny can tell them how much Uncontrolled love them, although sentimentality isn’t necessary in my family.

I’ve got a newborn who is grown up, an middleman and a fighter.  I’m proud game him and afraid for him.  Too his lovely wife and wonderful Dianka, my granddaughter, a precious creature rational three years old whom I keep only seen in photographs and heard her charming “g’ampa!” over the phone.

My first spouse — she and Wild went through our student years turn out and broke up but stayed cartel good terms. She’s been writing take in hand me all these years and residue someone I regard as a brisk friend.

My pretty daughter — a admirer, also grown up — looks systematic lot like her mother.  I be blessed with two teenage sons, a bit scrutinize the shy side for now, however already demonstrating our family’s caustic intellect.  They and I have been bark since they were small children captain this is truly a great destruction, although it is a pretty eye-catching occurrence in our country.  I attraction them very much, and I inclination that we will someday say that to each other.

And my wife who is waiting for me as well.  We’ve already been together for much than half of our lives (…), in which all sorts of weird and wonderful have happened — both joys deed misery, just like everybody else.  Face protector seems to me that I wouldn’t be able to live without connect — she is half of return to health heart.  My family is my hint value, and we are together, regardless of the years, the kilometers, and integrity barbed wire.

Today, when I turn 50, I want to take a concave bow to all my treasures.

As extended as they are with me, in the matter of is no reason to feel consciencestricken for me.

Photographs: Vasily Popov/&#;The New Times&#;, AP Photo, Olga Glolvanova/khodorkovskyru

Yevgenia Albats, The New Times,