Oleg Kashin is a prominent Russian journalist known for his sharp articles about current events and corruption in Russia, which have led to numerous threats and an attempted murder.
Born on June 17, 1980, in Kaliningrad, Russia, Kashin spent his formative years in the city, which was a former intellectual center of Germany captured by the Red Army in WWII. His parents, an engineer and a medical doctor, respectively, had a profound influence on his independent thinking and critical approach to life.
Kashin graduated from the Baltic State Fishing Fleet Academy with a degree in sea navigation and worked as a navigator and special correspondent for Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper in Kaliningrad. He then moved to Moscow, where he established himself as a very aggressive journalist, collaborating with several reputable newspapers and magazines.
Kashin's reports about Mikhail Khodorkovsky's imprisonment in Siberia were never published, and he was fired from Izvestia, a large Kremlin-controlled newspaper. He was also targeted by the pro-government movement "Young Guards," which labeled him "enemy of all Russian people."
In 2004, Kashin was beaten by Russian Federal security officers while reporting about a demonstration near the Russian Government building in Moscow. He suffered a concussion and multiple bruises on his face and body. His efforts to sue the Russian Federal security officers were denied by the Russian court.
In 2005, Kashin was physically and psychologically humiliated by being held hostage for several hours in a closed room during a pro-Kremlin gathering of "Nashi" - the notorious nationalistic youth movement led by Vasili Yakemenko. Later, the "Nashi" website labeled Kashin as their enemy.
Kashin has been reporting on the highly debated project to build a highway through the popular Khimkinsky forest in Khimki suburb of Moscow, which has caused him numerous problems with some powerful political forces. He has also been censored and blacklisted by the Russian authorities.
In 2010, Kashin had a conflict with the Governor of Pskov, Andrei Turchak, who is a crony of Vladimir Putin and son of a powerful industrial tycoon. The conflict culminated as the Governor of Pskov, Andrei Turchak, made threats to Kashin and wrote an angry comment in the Governor's web page, saying that Kashin shall be punished.
On November 6, 2010, Kashin was assaulted by unknown attackers near his home in central Moscow. Since his attackers did not take his money, or cell phone, or identification, no one doubts that the reporter was attacked for professional reasons. Russian police are treating the attack as a case of attempted murder.
The attack was brutal, with the attackers hitting Kashin with a metal bar at least fifty times until he fell to the ground. The beating lasted several minutes, during which the attackers hit the journalist multiple times. As a result, Kashin suffered multiple injuries to his head, hands, chest, back, and legs.
Kashin was hospitalized in a medically induced coma and underwent several surgeries. He spent a month at ICU, where he was guarded by two special agents 24/7 and was interrogated by Federal detectives upon the order from President Dmitry Medvedev.
