User:Crtew/Aleksandr Rastorguev

Aleksandr Rastorguev, also known as Alexander Rastorguev, (26 June 1971 – July 31 2018), was a Russian documentary director who worked for multiple independent organizations from in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Rastorguev was known for his documentaries that were critical of Vladamir Putin and the Russian government before he was killed while working on a documentary in Central African Republic.

Personal
Aleksandr Rastorguev was born in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 26, 1971. He studied at Rostov State University and graduated from the St. Petersburg State Theatre Arts Academy. Rastorguev remained close to home, residing and working in Rostov-on-Guev.

He spent most of his life working on documentary films and opposed the Russian government. In 2011, he was detained during the 2011–2013 Russian protests against Vladimir Putin that occurred around the Russian presidential election, 2012.

At the time of death, Rastorguev was working on an assignment in Sibut, Kémo, Central African Republic. The final resting place of Rastorguev is in Troyekurovskoye Cemetery in Moscow, Russia.

Career
Before Rastorguev founded the Kino Studio in 2001, he first worked as a director at a local TV station in his home town of Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Rastorguev worked at this station as he worked on a documentary titled "Clean Thursday", that debuted in 2004 and focused on conflicts in Chechnya, Russia. Rastorguev was fired from the station, Don-TR, for his involvement in "Clean Thursday."

Awards
Alongside co-directors Susanna Baranzhiyeva and Vitaly Mansky, Rastorguev created the film "Tender's Heat: Wild, Wild Beach." In 2006, the film would go on to win a special jury award at the Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival.

Througout his life, Rastorguev would direct 4 more films. Rastorguev co-directed with Pavel Kostomarov for "I Love You", which follows three young men living in Russia over the course of a year, was nominated for two awards, but did not win either. Nominations included the Best Feature Documentary at the Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival in 2011, and the Best Documentary at the Nika Awards in 2012. Also co-directed by Pavel Kostomarov and Aleksandr Rastorguev was the 2012 film "Ya tebya ne lyblyu", which is a comedic documentary about "first love". It received 3 nominations, and no wins. Nominations included Best Feature Documentary at the Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival in 2012, Grand Prize of the Sochi Open Russian Film Festival in 2012, and the Free Spirit Award of the Warsaw International Film Festival in 2012.

Rastorguev's highest acclaim came from the film titled "Srok", also known as "The Term", which was released in 2014. Rastorguev shared the directing credit with Alexey Pivovarov and Pavel Kostomarov. The documentary offers viewers a look through the eyes of someone against Putin inside Russia. In 2015 it won the White Elephant award from the Russian Guild of Film Critics for the Best Documentary.

In 2018, Rastorguev released his final film in Germany beofre his death, "Russland hat die Wahl - Der Kampf der Opposition."

Death
In 2018, Rastorguev traveled with Russian reporter Orkhan Dzhemal and cameraman Kirill Radchenko to the Central African Republic (CAR) on assignment from the Investigation Control Center. The assignment, which focused on investigating Russian mercenaries such as those in the Wagner Group, brought the group to the CAR first on Friday, July 27, 2018. They kept contact with their superiors until that Sunday evening. They were driven around by a driver recommend by a shoot consultant from the UN named Martin, who the journalists were set to meet on Monday in Bambari.

The journalists were not in possession of proper media visas, and instead came to the CAR under tourist visas, leading the Russian Foreign Ministry to be unaware of their true intentions within the CAR. It was on Saturday that the group arrived in Bangui, Central African Republic, which is the capital. On Sunday, the group attended to enter a rumored location for Wagner activities, the Berengo estate, but were denied access. Later that day, two policemen demanded a bribe from the reporters.

Kirill Radchenko, the cameraman, had been keeping in touch with a friend back in Russia throughout the trip. The last message he sent was at approximately 11 a.m., before the team had even left for Bangui.

Approximately 14 miles from Sibut, the bodies of the three journalists were discovered. The three had been ambushed by approximately 10 men who spoke Arabic. The ambush occoured around 10 p.m. local time. Left behind were cans of gasoline and backpacks, whereas all that was stolen included video equipment. (Passports were missing, as well.)

The driver survived the ambush after fleeing from the scene. Andrey Konyakhin, head of the Investigation Control Center, has been credited saying that he "behaved strangely." Behaviors included implying a "shootout" by promoting the idea the journalists were armed.

Context
The Cental African Republic (CAR) only controls 20 percent of the nation. The other 80 percent is held by multiple Christian and Muslim militias. Russia has been intervening in this sitution. Russia's efforts are to stabilize the country, but its import of weapons have fallen into the hands of militias.

The three journalists were sent to the Central African Republic in order to investigate activities of Russian involvement and contracting of individuals in nations such as the Central African Republic, including matters having to do with Putin himself. Specifically, the group was to focus on the Wagner Group, a military company, and its connections to the Russian government.

Wagner has been linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian businessman with multiple links to the Russian government and the subject of a recent indictment from United States special counsel Robert Mueller. Wagner first became prominant in Syria before more recently taking a spotlight in the CAR.

Impact
Alexsandr Rastorguev was a key voice in the anti-Putin movement in Russia and became so through his documentaries that criticized Putin. His death brought about further suspicion as to whether his death was due to his work, or purely a coincidence.

Reactions
Natalia Antonova, a writer for the Guardian and a personal friend of Rastorguev, described his death as "a tragedy for both journalism and art."