Police Investigate Murder of Russian Artist Critical of Putin in Poland/Image@ BBC
Authorities in Poland are probing the assassination of a Russian artist known for his vocal opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Robert Kuzovkov, who went by the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, was fatally shot on Monday morning in a parking lot in Biała Podlaska, a town located approximately 40 kilometers from the Belarusian border.
The 44-year-old artist was struck five times in the head, chest, and back, just 600 meters from the Belarusian consulate.
Kozak stated that Skrepetsky was approached by an unknown assailant who fired two initial shots.
After the artist collapsed, the shooter reportedly approached him again, firing three additional rounds before fleeing the scene.
Skrepetsky succumbed to his injuries at the location.
Two Belarusian nationals, aged 33 and 37, have been detained near the consulate as part of the investigation, although their involvement in the incident remains unclear, according to Marcin Kozak, spokesman for the district prosecutor’s office in Lublin.
Having sought asylum in Biała Podlaska since leaving Russia in 2021 due to fears of persecution, Skrepetsky was known for his satirical caricatures targeting various political figures, including Putin, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
A post-mortem examination is scheduled for Wednesday.
Five shell casings and a Geco 9mm Luger bullet were collected from the crime scene.
Belarusian artist Vladislav Bokhan expressed his shock upon learning of Skrepetsky’s murder through Polish radio.
”I thought, that’s where Skrepetsky lives. I know it’s a very small town,” he remarked.
Kozak emphasized that Skrepetsky actively engaged in public artistic expression, utilizing his pseudonym to critique the policies of the Russian government.
His provocative artwork included depictions of Putin alongside Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin and Lukashenko portrayed as Adolf Hitler with a bucket of potatoes.
Additionally, he had ridiculed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and created content that addressed ordinary Ukrainians.
His works were widely shared on platforms such as Telegram and YouTube.
Skrepetsky leaves behind his wife and five children in Poland.
On social media, video footage from the night before his death showed him participating in a Russia Day protest outside the Russian embassy in Berlin, where he carried a painting that caricatured both Putin and Stalin, along with a Russian flag tied to his trousers.
Bulat Subkhankulov, a friend of Skrepetsky, expressed his concerns about the artist’s safety.
”I kept telling him: ‘Mate, they’re going to come for you. Please be prepared, always stay alert,'” he told the BBC.
Subkhankulov reflected on Skrepetsky’s fearless nature, acknowledging that despite warnings of potential danger, he remained undeterred.
”Eventually I realized there was no point. That’s just the kind of guy he was: completely reckless and stubborn.”
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong