"I couldn't remain indifferent to everything that was happening in our world." A farewell ceremony was held in Tambov for the ashes of pianist Pavel Kushnir, who died in pretrial detention after a hunger strike.

Video from the farewell ceremony опубликовал Telegram channel "Tverdy Znak Tambov." Judging by the footage, more than 30 people came to pay their respects to Pavel Kushnir's ashes.

"He deeply and acutely felt the tragedy of existence. Therefore, he could not remain indifferent to everything that was happening in our world," said Vladimir Popov, a preacher at the Tambov Baptist Church, where the pianist once played.

39-year-old Pavel Kushnir died in the Birobidzhan pretrial detention center on July 27. Before his death, he had been on a dry hunger strike for five days.

Before his arrest in May of this year, the musician worked at the Birobidzhan Philharmonic, published an anti-war book, and ran a YouTube channel with anti-fascist manifestos. The FSB opened a case against him under the article on "public calls for terrorist activity."

The relatives of the deceased refused to claim his body: his mother believes that he “gave his life for nothing,” and calls the war against Ukraine “a necessity due to the fact that NATO has surrounded Russia.” 

Pavel Kushnir cremated On August 8, the urn with his ashes was delivered to his native Tambov.

About the life and death of a brilliant pianist, according to his colleagues, Read In a large article by "NeMoskva":