User:Crtew/Dmitry Tsilikin

Dmitry Tsilikin was a Russian journalist who was known for his critiques of the arts and theatrics. Tsilikin was born in the year ca. 1962 and was murdered on March 27, 2016. Tsilikin published work for a number of media outlets including radio, television, newspaper, and magazines. Tsilikin wrote for various companies such as Kommersant, Moscow News, and Vouge and Elle. He lived and was ultimately murdered in Saint Petersburgh, Russia. Tsilikin received great praise for his work, leading to him receiving the Golden Pen award in 2015. Tsilikin’s murder is linked to a hate crime by a far-right extremist.

Personal
Tsilikin resided in Saint Petersburgh, Russia throughout his life. Tsilikin loved the art and music industry, as he graduated from the Leningrad State Institute of Music and Cinema. He lived a quiet personal life, only having a few close friends who he met through work. His love life was hidden, but many speculated he was apart and a supporter of the LGBTQ community. Tsilikin was ultimately buried at Serafimovskoye cemetery in Saint Petersburgh, Russia.

Career
Tsilikin was an actor for eight years before turning to journalism. He had a decorated journalism career, being known as one of the top critiques of music and arts in Russia. Tsilikin discovered journalism after the collapse of the Soviet Union and worked for the newspaper Rush Hour, editing Culture and Society. Many of his articles were published by well-known companies such as Vouge, Moscow News, and Kommersant. Tsilikin was not limited to just writing, as he even hosted television shows. In the early 2000s, he was a presenter for cultural programs on the RTR and Saint Petersburgh’s Channel Five. His career as a journalist was capped off by receiving the Golden Pen Award in the Culture Space in 2015.

Death
Dmitry Tsilikin was murdered on March 27, 2016. He had just returned from a business trip from Latvian Capital, Riga. Tsilikin messaged Sergei Kosyrev, a 22-year-old student at the time, online and planned to meet up that night. As mentioned, many believed Tsilikin was gay and the meeting between the two was on the basis of a date. Sergei Kosyrev turned out to be an extremist against the LGBTQ community and his social network account contained pictures of Adolf Hitler. Sergei admitted to murdering Tsilikin on the night they met up because a verbal argument arose, and he became enraged with anger. The police report states that Sergei Kosyrev stabbed Dmitry Tsilikin at least a dozen times and left him to rot. Sergei later noted that he planned to blackmail the famous Russian journalist because of his homosexuality. Sergei is sentenced to eight and a half years for the murder and hate crime of Tsilikin.

Context
Tsilikin’s sexuality is what ultimately resulted in his murder. Russia is full of radicalists like most countries, but views against homosexuality is at the top. There have been numerous hate crimes in Russia over the years relating to peoples’ sexuality. Unfortunately for Tsilikin, he tried to keep his sexuality hidden for years because of the stigma in the country. Tsilikin would often meet people online in private in order to express his sexuality and remain out of the public eye. Russia is known to be a dangerous country for journalists, as they rank 180 out of 199 countries for press freedom.

Impact
Tsilikin was famous in Russia for his writing of the culture and arts. Russian journalists idolized Tsilikin for his work and aspired to reach his status. Tsilikin is a symbol for Russian journalists and helps spark the conversation for justice . He was a respected member of Russian society who helped elevate Russian journalism.

Reactions
Gay rights activist Alexei Sergeyev said “The murder of Dmitry is just the tip of the iceberg. There is a climate of homophobia in the country. We need to talk about it .”

A young woman gay rights activist held a place card during a protest that said “Dmitry Tsilikin was cruelly murdered in Saint Petersburgh. A young neo-Nazi killed him because he was gay .”

A humans rights researcher wrote “Until Russian authorities rein in their own hateful rhetoric, acknowledge their obligation to protect those who identify as LGBT and their supporters, and act on that obligation, the attacks will continue. And some, like Dmitry Tsilikin, will pay with their lives .”