Zhanna Nemtsova: We need to struggle

A daughter of the killed Russian opposition leader received the Lech Wałęsa Solidarity Prize in Warsaw.

Zhanna Nemtsova received the award from Polish president Bronislaw Komorowski and leader of Solidarity Trade Union, ex-president Lech Wałęsa.

The ceremony, which was held in the Presidential Palace on August 4, was attended by speaker f the Polish Sejm Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, speaker of the Senate Bogdan Borusiewicz, foreign minister Grzegorz Schetyna, Undersecretary of State Konrad Pawlik, head of the Sejm Commission for Foreign Affairs Robert Tyszkiewicz, former Sejm speaker and ex-foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski, prominent film director Andrzej Wajda, Gazeta Wyborcza editor-in-chief Adam Michnik. Mustafa Dzhemilev, the first winner of the Solidarity Prize and the leader of the Crimean Tatars came to the ceremony from Kyiv.

Belarus was represented by first head of the country Stanislau Shushkevich, leader of European Belarus civil campaign Andrei Sannikov and his wife Iryna Khalip, editor-in-chief of charter97.org Natallia Radzina and head of Viasna human rights centre Ales Bialiatski.

Last year's prize winner Mustafa Dzhemilev said in his speech that when he was asked to propose the next laureate, he called Boris Nemtsov. Boris was killed in February, and the prize is not awarded posthumously. It is given to living people to encourage them to struggle and help the others.

Lech Wałęsa noted that his generation and Solidarity trade union had removed many problems that impeded the development of Europe and the world.

“It seemed to us that no problems in the world would be solved with the help of tanks, annexation and force. We proposed peaceful arguments as a solution. Most people in the world and exactly in Europe adopted this way of thinking and supported this way of dealing with contradictions. But there are the countries that prefer old methods of solving problems. That's why it is so important for Russia to change and join us. It would be a great success of our generation and Solidarity,” the former president and Solidarity leader said.

President of Poland Bronislaw Komorowski noted the Solidarity Prize was for those who see their patriotism in democracy rather than dominance.

“I think the Lech Wałęsa Prize is not only the award for Zhanna personally but also the award to pay respect to the memory of Boris Nemtsov and all real Russian patriots.

This award is for all Russians who see the greatness and future of their country not in dominance over others, but in building a modern state, a modern society that could live in harmony with the principles of the world's democratic community.

We should be grateful to those able to tell their people: this road leads to nowhere. The road to the greatness of the nation – Russian, Polish, German, Tatar and any other – means getting a habit of thinking what can we give the world rather than take away.

We have the experience of Solidarity, which worked against the authorities that were repressive towards our people. For this reason, we can give this award today and emphasise the correctness and significance of all actions outside Poland relating to the resistance to the anti-popular authorities.

I am happy that we can give this award named after the Solidarity leader to the daughter of Boris Nemtsov who died as a Russian patriot, understating his patriotism as activity for a better democratic Russia,” the Polish president said.

Polish foreign minister Grzegorz Schetyna said Poland was always ready to share its experience of successful democratic transformations.

“Zhanna Nemtsova, this year's prize winner, has chosen the path of freedom. We know that many young Russians believe the key to the strong modern state is cooperation and peaceful coexistence, respect for international law and civil liberties rather than expansion and aggression,” the minister noted.

Zhanna Nemtsova said:

“The fact that you chose a representative of Russia, and I am a representative and citizen of Russia, shows that there are the countries in Europe that think Russia will become free one day.”

She stressed that she, like many Russians, had solidarity with her father Boris Nemtsov who remained faithful to his principles, in particular, to a path of a free country for Russia.

“The award charges me with great responsibility. But it also gives me strength. We need to struggle. Never give up,” Nemtsov's daughter said.

Zhanna asked for a moment of silence in memory of her father at the end of her speech.

The Solidarity Prize, which was founded by the Polish MFA, is awarded for promoting democracy and civil liberties.

The winner receives a statuette and 1 million euros.

“A part of the prize, 700,000 euros, will be spent on charity projects in Eastern Partnership countries. It is a condition of the prize. Most charity projects will be financed in Ukraine that is hit by brutal war,” Zhanna Nemtsova said.

Boris Nemtsov's daughter added that she planned to give grants to the Belarusian website Charter'97 with its editor-in-chief Natallia Radzina.