Chechen women won their war. And then they were ordered to hide their faces

Forwarded From Meduza — Books

Chechen women won their war. And then they were ordered to hide their faces

That was the headline of an article published in Novaya Gazeta in 2007 by Natalia Estemirova, a human rights defender, journalist, and Chechen woman who devoted half her life to fighting for the rights of her people: the right to live, to safety, and to freedom. On July 15, 2009, Estemirova was abducted near her home in Grozny and murdered. The masterminds and the actual perpetrators have still not been found, but Natalia’s relatives and loved ones are convinced it was payback for her many years of human rights work.

In the 2000s, Natalia often helped journalists from other regions: she found local contacts, persuaded people to speak with reporters, and accompanied colleagues on dangerous trips. She also filmed television reports herself and wrote articles, many of which were published in Novaya Gazeta. Today, on the anniversary of Natalia Estemirova’s death, we decided to gather her archival publications on a wide range of topics, from small-town corruption to war crimes.

“In time, people will remember my mother forever, and her murderers will dissolve like ghosts,” Lana Estemirova, Natalia’s daughter, writes in her autobiographical book “Please, Live”. To preserve that memory, we are sharing her texts with you. You can read them in full and see how they looked in layout at this link.

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Lana Estemirova’s book “Please, Live. The Chechen Wars, My Mother, and Me” can be ordered here.