Valeriya Novodvorskaya, a Russian politician, gained recognition at a young age for her activism against the Communist government in Czechoslovakia. Despite facing arrests and confinement in psychiatric hospitals, she continued to fight for democracy and human rights. Novodvorskaya’s outspoken nature and fluency in multiple languages made her a prominent figure in Russian history. Although she received recognition for her contributions, her controversial opinions often sparked controversy.
Quick Facts
- Died At Age: 64
- Family: mother: Nina Fyodorovna
- Journalists
- Political Leaders
- Political ideology: Democratic Union
- Died on: July 12, 2014
- Place of death: Moscow
- Ancestry: Belarusian Russian
- Ideology: Democrats
Childhood & Early Life
Valeriya Ilyinichna Novodvorskaya was born on May 17, 1950, in Baranovichi, present-day Belarus. Her parents were Nina Fyodorovna, a doctor, and her husband, an engineer. She completed her secondary education in 1968 and went on to pursue a course in French translation and teaching from the Moscow Institute of Foreign Languages.
Career
In 1969, at the age of 19, Novodvorskaya formed an association of students with the objective of revolting against the Communist government in Czechoslovakia. She distributed pamphlets criticizing the Communist Party, which led to her arrest and confinement in the Soviet Psychiatric Hospital for two years on claims of being schizophrenic.
During 1972-1975, Novodvorskaya worked as a teacher at a children’s medical establishment and also tried to form a party that would protest against the Soviet regime. She formed a trade guild called the Free Inter-Professional Union of Workers, which fought for labor rights and resulted in the arrest of all its members.
Novodvorskaya was arrested for being a nonconformist on three occasions from 1978-1986. She regularly held illegal meetings and protest marches, leading to her imprisonment seventeen times. In 1988, she formed the Democratic Union Party and started contributing articles to the underground publication Free Word.
During the early 1990s, Novodvorskaya worked as a medical interpreter at the Second Moscow Medical Institute. She also established the Independent Psychiatric Association of Russia to refute allegations of her being mentally unstable. However, she faced defamation cases after publicly shredding a portrait of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
In 1992, Novodvorskaya was presented with Georgian citizenship and appointed as the Human Rights Advisor for the President of Georgia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia. She also established the Democratic Union of Russia, which aimed at liberal reforms.
During 1992-1996, Novodvorskaya supported President Boris Yeltsin’s decision to remove the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation. She contested in the Russian legislative elections but did not win. She also faced charges for allegedly propagating civil war and ethnic dissension through her articles.
After retiring from politics, Novodvorskaya worked as a professor and wrote several books, including “Beyond Despair,” “Карфаген обязан быть разрушен,” and “Валерия Новодворская. Над пропастью во лжи.”
Major Works
Novodvorskaya is known for her impassioned protests against the Soviet government, which often led to trouble with the law and stints at psychiatric institutions. Her book “Beyond Despair” describes these experiences and her motivation behind the struggle for democracy in Russia.
Personal Life & Legacy
Novodvorskaya never married and attributed her sexual abstinence to her regular arrests by the Soviet government. She was fond of cats and enjoyed swimming, reading science fiction, and watching theater performances. She passed away on July 12, 2014, due to Toxic Shock Syndrome caused by an infection in her foot.
Trivia
Novodvorskaya was known for her controversial opinions, with some of her infamous statements including “Apartheid is a normal thing” and “human rights are not for everyone, but only for decent people.”