Lytdybr. Diaries, Dialogues, Prose

Lytdybr is a kind of autobiography of Anton Nosik, compiled by Victoria Mochalova and Elena Kallo from diary entries, journalism, transcripts of interviews, and dialogues of Anton. Collected in one space of the book, divided by themes: childhood, family, Israel, the birth of the Russian Internet, Venice, protests and politics, charity, Russian media, dozens and hundreds of disparate texts by Anton become a single narrative about the life and death of a unique person, so bright and significant that his true role in our society will need to be contemplated for many years to come. Each chapter is accompanied by a preface by one of Anton's friends, writers, and public figures: Pavel Pepperstein, Demyan Kudryavtsev, Arsen Revazov, Gleb Smirnov, Yevgenia Albats, Dmitry Bykov, Lev Rubinstein, Ekaterina Gordeeva. The publication includes photographs from the family archive. I live my life as I see fit - without looking back at all the informers, executioners, and enforcers, who may not like it. I have a blog where I write what I think and publicly express my thoughts as I see right. Perhaps this freedom has its price. Perhaps I will have to pay this price. Among my friends and acquaintances, there are people who have already paid - yet they could have run away in time. But I respect their choice. And for many years, looking at these examples, I asked myself how I would act if I were in their place - when the threat of repression has already been voiced but has not yet materialized. The answers that came to mind were very different, but with one common conclusion: in my one and only life, I am not ready to sacrifice freedom for safety. And I am not ready to take any action - even in the name of that very safety - after which I would cease to respect myself. A knock at the door can sound any day. And one simply needs to be ready for it. I am ready. Anton Nosik