On July 27, 2024, Pavel Kushnir, a musician and educator, died from torture in a pre-trial detention center in the city of Birobidzhan in Russia.

He was only 39 years old.

His name should not be forgotten. Death and oblivion can only be opposed by life and memory.

At the initiative of producers Roman Liberov and Svetlana Dolya, as well as actor Anatoly Bely, the Pavel Kushnir Foundation and Scholarship are being created. This is an international project designed to support young musicians from Ukraine studying in musical institutions around the world, as well as those who left dictatorial regimes in Russia and Belarus.

At the moment, there is consent to join the Expert Council of the Foundation from the outstanding pianist Evgeny Kissin, negotiations are underway with the most famous musicians of our time, including: Martha Argerich, Alexander Melnikov, Sir Antonio Pappano and many others.

As part of the opening of the project, a series of chamber concerts will be held in London, Amsterdam, Paris and Tel Aviv at the end of December.

On December 25, 2024, the first charity concert in memory of Pavel Kushnir will take place in Israel as part of the world series of charity concerts in honor of the opening of the Pavel Kushnir Foundation and Scholarship. You will see performances by representatives of three generations of musicians. World-famous pianist Oksana Yablonskaya, outstanding Israeli pianist Ron Regev and rising star Adam Hahn. Along with leading Israeli musicians who will perform Chopin's mazurkas, the concert will feature Israeli writer and playwright Roi Hahn (who translated Pavel's works into Hebrew) and actor Anatoly Bely. They will voice commentaries on the mazurkas that Pavel Kushnir made during his life. This unique educational work of Pavel will be heard on stage for the first time in Hebrew and Russian.

Memory is the most powerful weapon we have. We must do everything so that the name of Pavel Kushnir remains for generations.