Local artist creates online gallery to honor slain Russian journalist

When outspoken Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya was murdered on October 7, Twin Cities cartoonist and illustrator Andrey Feldshteyn set up an Internet cartoon exhibition in her memory called “This Murderous Word —‘Freedom!’” The gallery is part of a larger project he had already started to link cartoonists of the Russian diaspora.

“A few months ago I organized a forum for the leading cartoonists from the former USSR, most of them I knew personally for many years. It has became a sort of International Club for the artists living now around the globe, from Canada to Cyprus. And it is the only forum for professional Russian cartoonists now,” Feldshteyn explained.

“When Politkovskaya was murdered I felt like something has to be done, it was impossible just to sit and helplessly watch the news on TV,” he said. “The idea to organize an international protest-expo naturally came to the mind. My friends have supported this thought, and then we called to the world cartoonists community.”

Here is an excerpt from the rules for this show:

The International Cartoon Club is inviting cartoonists worldwide to take a part in the exhibition devoted to the memory of prominent Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya. In her articles Anna exposed corrupt politicians, war criminals, sharply criticized the government. She was also a distinguished human rights advocate. Her murder at the hands of professional killer is another example of similar occurrences in modern Russia.

The theme of the exhibition is “This murderous word -‘Freedom!’” Entries should provide the author’s insight into the conflict between the authoritarian regime and the independent journalism; they should warn about the danger of Nazism in countries where free press is under attack.

Right away, submissions started to arrive. “So far we have received 163 drawings from 52 artists living in 27 countries, and more are coming,” Feldshteyn said in late November, adding that they now have plans to publish a book and even open an exhibition in Moscow.

Feldshteyn was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, moved to the United States in 1993, and now lives in the Twin Cities. His cartoons, which have won many awards, may be seen on his Web site, www.cartoonblues.com.

His awards include the Grand Prize at the Annual Homer Davenport International Cartoon Contest and the Award of Excellence at the Sixth International Editorial Cartoon Competition in Ottawa, Canada; with a total of eight international awards during the last three and a half years.

His works are stored in various museums around the globe, including the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco and The Museum of Nonconformist Art in Saint Petersburg, Russia.”

For more information, and to view the exhibition, visit www.cartoon-expo.com/introduction_english.html.

A shorter version of this interview also appears in the Winter issue of MOQ, which includes a cartoon by Feldshteyn as well as Minneapolis cartoonist Tom Cassidy each issue.