Svetlana Astrakhantseva

12 May 2026

by Svetlana Astrakhantseva

Source: Facebook

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Moscow Helsinki Group.

On 12 May 1976, the first signatures appeared on the document ‘On the Formation of a Public Group to Promote the Implementation of the Helsinki Accords in the USSR’: Liudmila Alekseeva, Elena Bonner, Aleksandr Ginzburg, Pyotr Grigorenko, Aleksandr Korchak, Malva Landa, Anatoly Marchenko, Yury Orlov, Anatoly (Natan) Shcharansky. These were the founders of the Moscow Helsinki Group.

In the short period from 1976 to 1982, virtually all members of the Moscow Helsinki Group were victims of persecution by the KGB. By 1981, only three members remained at liberty, and on 6 September 1982, the group announced the cessation of its activities.

During the Perestroika era, the group resumed its work, becoming an important part of civil society in post-Soviet Russia.

In early 2023, Moscow City Court dissolved the organisation, marking the end of its official history as a legal entity.

But this is not the end of our story. Never give up, never despair, and never lose heart! This is the motto guiding the human rights defenders who continue their work in Russia.

And today, following a long-standing tradition, we will all raise a glass together to the success of our hopeless cause!

Translated by RiR