Member of the Human Rights Council Merkacheva: Svanidze was on the mend, but could not recover
TV presenter Nikolai Svanidze has died at the age of 69 in Moscow. According to preliminary data, the journalist’s death was caused by acute heart failure. He had been seriously ill in recent years. Journalists Vladimir Pozner, Ksenia Sobchak and others shared their memories of him.
Svanidze’s colleagues talk about working with him
TV presenter Vladimir Pozner called Svanidze a man of principles. “He was a man of principle who did not bend under any authority and always adhered to his principles. I can say this absolutely firmly,” he said about his colleague.
The head of the Union of Journalists of Russia (UJR) Vladimir Solovyov recalled that the TV presenter was the chairman of VGTRK. Svanidze hosted the program “Mirror” and also filmed many documentaries for the channel “Russia 1”.
Nikolay Svanidze made a significant contribution to the development of Russian television and Russian journalism. (…) We will all remember him as an intelligent person, incredibly educated and with a good sense of humor.
War correspondent Alexander Sladkov, commenting on Svanidze’s death, statedwho worked under his leadership on the program “Mirror”. He called this period one of the most interesting in his work.
Those who made Russian television in the early 1990s are leaving
Sladkov added that Svanidze was principled in his relations with people and subordinates. He also said that the journalist knew how to be a friend.
Journalist Ksenia Sobchak in her Telegram-channel, she said that she worked with Svanidze on the radio and also hosted a socio-political show with him on Channel Five. “How quickly time flies,” she wrote.
I feel incredibly sorry for Svanidze. He was a really cool guy. We worked together on the radio — an intelligent, smart person. He will be missed.
The State Duma and the Federation Council reacted to Svanidze’s death
State Duma deputy Yevgeny Revenko, who previously worked for the Rossiya 1 channel, statedthat he met Svanidze when he hosted the program “Mirror”. According to him, the journalist was always friendly, willing to share his knowledge and experience.
Nikolai Karlovich was a model of deep and serious handling of words. He can probably be called one of the brightest and most talented television publicists of the late 1990s and 2000s.
Federation Council member Konstantin Kosachev also said that Svanidze influenced his worldview. He especially noted the program “Historical Chronicles” hosted by the journalist.
Member of the Human Rights Council (HRC) Eva Merkacheva statedthat the journalist had been on the mend recently, but his health eventually worsened. “He was sick for a very long time, very sick,” she said, speaking of Svanidze.
Merkacheva also said that she periodically corresponded with the journalist. According to her, Svanidze, despite his illness, actively followed the events taking place in Russia. The last time he answered her about his health, he said, “I’ve been better, but nothing, I’m alive.”
Svanidze appeared on Russian television in 1991
Svanidze’s death was reported on September 12. Doctors arrived at his home on the evening of September 11. At first, the journalist was conscious, but his condition quickly worsened. Doctors tried to resuscitate the presenter for about an hour, but were unable to save him. According to preliminary information, the cause of death was acute heart failure.
Svanidze’s serious health problems became known in early February 2023, when he was admitted to a Moscow infectious diseases hospital. He was diagnosed with respiratory failure due to bilateral community-acquired pneumonia, impaired brain function, pulmonary edema, and sepsis. The journalist was then connected to a ventilator.
Nikolay Svanidze was born in 1955 in Moscow. He began working on Russian television in 1991. He hosted such programs as “Mirror”, “Contrasts”, “Historical Process”. He was also the author of the documentary series “Historical Chronicles with Nikolay Svanidze”. In 2001, he received the Order of Honor for his great contribution to the development of Russian television and radio broadcasting.
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