Camden becomes first place in UK to commemorate Russian pro-democracy campaigner Boris Nemtsov
Today (14 November 2022), Camden Council will name a junction in Highgate ‘Boris Nemtsov Place’ - after the assassinated politician who spoke out against Vladimir Putin.
Boris Nemtsov (1959 – 2015) was Deputy Prime Minister of Russia under Boris Yeltsin, who later led the opposition and openly criticised Vladimir Putin’s government.
Boris Nemtsov helped educate and inform the public in Russia about government corruption and the abuses carried out by Putin’s regime. He organised pro-democracy rallies in Moscow and advocated for sanctions against Kremlin officials complicit in human rights violations. He also took a stand against Russian military aggression in Ukraine.
Tragically, having become a prominent and effective voice of opposition, he was assassinated near the Kremlin in Moscow on February 27, 2015.
Camden is the first place in the UK to name an area after Boris Nemtsov, following Washington DC, Vilnius, Kyiv, Bratislava, Prague, Sofia and Greater Toronto who have taken this step. Russian authorities have prevented the establishment of an official memorial to Nemtsov, so his friends and supporters have turned to nations arounds the world to help commemorate his life and legacy.
The location of Camden’s ‘Boris Nemtsov Place’ – at the junction of Highgate Road, Highgate West Hill and Swains Lane – is just a stone’s throw away from the now closed Russian Trade Delegation. New street signs and an information board will be unveiled marking the spot.
Leading the campaign to honour his legacy was Vladimir Kara-Murza, long-time supporter and friend of Boris Nemtsov, until he was arrested in April 2022 and put in a Russian jail for speaking out against Putin’s war in Ukraine. Following his imprisonment, his wife, Evgenia Kara-Murza has been continuing the campaign and working to raise awareness of Boris Nemtsov’s contributions towards peace and democracy in Russia.
I am deeply grateful to Camden Council and its leader Georgia Gould for commemorating a great Russian statesman, who gave his life fighting for a better future for his country, and for sending a powerful message of solidarity with all those Russians who, despite grave personal risks, refuse to be silent in the face of atrocities committed by the Putin regime and bravely stand up to its inhumane repressive machine.
Boris Nemtsov courageously stood up for democracy, justice, and peace. He challenged Putin’s totalitarian regime in the knowledge that he would place himself in huge danger for speaking out.
In Camden we are proud of our radical spirit and our history of fighting for social justice, so I’m delighted that we are leading the UK in honouring Boris Nemtsov. Putin’s war in Ukraine reminds us how precious and precarious justice, peace and democracy are, and why we should never ever take these things for granted.
I want to thank Vladimir and Evgenia Kara-Murza for their dedication to this campaign, and for allowing us to take part and pay tribute in this way. I hope that everyone who visits Boris Nemtsov Place will take a moment to reflect and learn more about his life.
There’s more about Boris Nemtsov, his life and work on our dedicated webpage at camden.gov.uk/BorisNemtsov