MENU
Documenting
war crimes in Ukraine

The Tribunal for Putin (T4P) global initiative was set up in response to the all-out war launched by Russia against Ukraine in February 2022.

In memory of Marek Nowicki

22.12.2003   

We have learned the terrible news: Marek Nowicki died. We knew that he was seriously ill, but he hoped and believed that doctors would treat him, and we would see him again: radiant with intellect and talent, lively, amusing and ironic. Alas, it is impossible now…

Nowicki amazed me during our first meeting in Moscow in June 1990. He amazed me with his brilliant mind, sober opinions and aspiration to practical results. Whatever you are doing, he used to say, you must achieve the success, maybe a little one, but doubtless. There were many other meetings later, many discussions and disputes. It was very interesting to dispute with Marek. Yet, we always had too little time…

All people are irreplaceable, but Marek is irreplaceable most of all… He worked hardly, he taught people how to preserve the human dignity and how to oppose the violence on the side of the state. Hundreds, or maybe even thousands of people regard themselves as his pupils. He was an outstanding lecturer, he was able to explain the most complicated things lucidly and simply

I believe that Marek was a happy man. He loved and was loved, he achieved much and he was respected by the enormous quantity of people throughout the world. We will always remember him.

Evhen Zakharov, the Kharkov group for human rights protection, «Memorial»

 

***

The death of Marek Nowicki shocked us deeply.

We were the pupils of Marek. We are indebted to him and the Helsinki Foundation not only for our knowledge in the sphere of human rights, but also for our new, optimistic perception of the world in the epoch of dramatic transformation of the totalitarian regimes into democratic states. He was a model of moral purity and ethics in the society of cynics, an inspiring example of the active work for peaceful transformation of the violent world into the world, where dignity and equal rights exist for everybody.

With his death we lost one of the most brilliant enthusiasts of humanization of the post-Soviet space.

Nikolay Kozyrev, the chairman of the board of the Public committee for human rights protection

Ludmila Sokolenko, the secretary of the committee

Lugansk, Ukraine

***

I learned the news about the death of Marek Nowicki on Sunday. I knew that he was ill, but the grievous news astonished me all the same.

I cannot get rid of the feeling that something has changed in the world, something very important and essential. The world itself has changed. Marek is dead. It is difficult to believe in that…

The comprehension that all people are mortal cannot mollify our pain and sorrow. From now on Marek will live only in our memory and in films created by him. Yet, we hope that he will also live in our deeds, since we could not do many things, if we would not know Marek. That is why he still remains with us and will remain with us forever.

Aleksandr Bukalov, «The Donetsk Memorial», Donetsk, Ukraine

 Share this