Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead in Moscow on Friday, was one of the most charismatic Russian politicians of the post-Soviet era, a tireless campaigner and fiery orator renowned for his uncompromising opposition to the Putin regime.
He rose from humble origins to scale the heights of Russian power and was once touted as a future president. But after being booted out of office in 1998 he gradually emerged as one of the Kremlin’s most outspoken critics.
In words that now sound prophetic, Nemtsov recently expressed fears for his life. In a February 10 interview with Sobesednik, a news website, he related how his mother would often say: “When will you stop railing against Putin? He’ll kill you!”