TIME speaks to Evgenia Kara-Murza, wife of the political prisoner that President Vladimir Putin fears most, about her and her husband’s activism
—and others fighting against authoritarian regimes around the world. Had Evgenia’s husband not been sentenced to 25 years in a penal colony a month earlier for his vocal opposition to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, perhaps he would have been there with her. It is the longest sentence handed down to a Putin critic to date.
Evgenia Kara-Murza: Not fully, because Vladimir is a politician. First and foremost, he’s a politician and I believe that one brilliant politician is enough for our family. He has a very clear vision of what Russia can offer to the world as a democratic country, of how to build democracy in Russia. I believe that these voices need to be heard, and I continue as best I can. I don’t have the skillset. I don’t have the knowledge. The first public speech that I ever made, I made last year when Vladimir was arrested.wrote in TIME
I had to hold it all together. We have three kids. The oldest was nine; we had a six-year-old, a three-year-old. I had to hold it all together, and Vladimir. I think it took a year for everything to fall back into some kind of normalcy. And when I felt that everyone was okay and Vladimir was walking and talking and doing his thing, the thing that he does best, that was when I collapsed. So I think I have a delayed reaction and this has saved me before.
I think that the Kremlin has their hands full and they don’t really notice me running around the world and screaming. It’s mostly the statements, the efforts, the help, and the solidarity of the world with Vladimir that annoys them and that makes them maybe think twice about doing something to him. I don’t believe it’s my activity, per se. I just talk. But Vladimir has made friends all over the world all these years and they all stand in solidarity with him.
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