Khodorkovsky’s daughter accepts literature prize on his behalf

On January 13, Anastasia Khodorkovsky, the daughter of former YUKOS CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky, accepted the Znamya literary magazine’s prize on her father’s behalf. Ms. Khodorkovsky referred to meetings with her father as “the saddest and most long-awaited moments” and conveyed his words: “Do not lose hope and keep faith.”

Khodorkovsky’s lawyer Yelena Lukyanova, left, read out his statement: “I consider this prize a symbol of moral support from the magazine, its readers and respected professional author Lyudmila Ulitskaya to all people who have found themselves in a difficult situation.”

Khodorkovsky, charged with theft of oil and tax evasion, received the prize for “Dialogues WWith Lyudmila Ulitskaya,” published in Znamya’s October 2009 issue. “Although we are not like-minded persons, it was an interesting conversation. Mr. Khodorkovsky has learned a lot, has changed and continues to change,” Ulitskaya who had initiated theis correspondence,letter exchange told journalists. From left: Khodorkovsky’s lawyer Yelena Lukyanova, Anastasia Khodorkovsky and author Lyudmila Ulitskaya.

“’Dialogues’ effectively reestablishes the long-forgotten correspondence genre,” Znamya magazine’s First Deputy Editor-In-Chief Natalia Ivanova told journalists. From left: Author Lyudmila Ulitskaya, Anastasia Khodorkovsky, Znamya’s First Deputy Editor-In-Chief Natalia Ivanova and Yekaterina Geniyeva, General Director of the National Foreign Literature Library.

From left: Khodorkovsky’s lawyer Yelena Lukyanova, Anastasia Khodorkovsky, the daughter of the former YUKOS CEO now serving time in prison, and author Lyudmila Ulitskaya. Anastasia Khodorkovsky on her father’s behalf accepted the Znamya literary magazine’s prize., It was awardedwas awarded for “Dialogues wWith Lyudmila Ulitskaya.”