AOn Saturday, the human rights organization Memorial, co-founded by Irina Scherbakova, will receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. At the same time, the Moscow-born human rights activist will be the new protagonist of the multi-award-winning FAZ campaign “There is always a clever mind behind it”. In addition to Memorial, the Center for Civil Liberties and Ales Byaljazki are also honored with the Nobel Peace Prize.
The 98th motif in the photo series shows the historian behind an open newspaper, positioned next to the “Non Violence” sculpture by the Swedish sculptor Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd. The artwork is a worldwide symbol for peace. The message from Irina Scherbakowa, who lives in exile in Germany, is for Russia to lay down arms and cease hostilities. She also says: “Peace needs a basis – and we can only create it if we do everything we can to ensure Ukraine’s defense and to keep Putin’s deterrence as great as possible.”
Irina Scherbakova is one of the pioneers of the Russian human rights movement and co-founded the human rights organization Memorial in 1989. However, the umbrella organization including its regional organizations was forcibly liquidated by the Russian Supreme Court at the end of 2021. In October 2022, the order to clear the Moscow offices followed.
The multi-award-winning FAZ campaign “There is always a clever mind behind it” has been addressing social issues and events since 1995. Many outstanding personalities from politics, business and society had their picture taken behind the open newspaper for the series – including Helmut Kohl, Ursula von der Leyen and Helmut Schmidt. All motifs can be viewed here.
