Languages

To the memory of a true Barents journalist

Journalist Elena Larionova died on 6th of July

Elena Larionova worked relentlessly to promote cross-border journalism cooperation in the Barents Region and was one of the founding-mothers of the journalism network Barents Press.

Location

Always positive and always working for closer relations across national borders, Elena won respect and admiration all over the region. Her death is a great loss for the Barents journalism community.

Read obituary by Rune Rafaelsen, leader of the Norwegian Barents Secretariat, below.

 In Memory of Elena Larionova

Elena Larionova passed away Sunday 6th July. She was a true Barents pioneer. She was one of the first journalists, who started to work with cross-border cooperation in the Barents Region, even before the Barents Cooperation was established in 1993. She learned Norwegian at Svanvik Folkehøgskole, worked for the local radio station, and developed very soon strong relation to Norwegian and Nordic media partners.

She also for a period worked at the Norwegian Barents Secretariat in Murmansk. In 1995 she was one of the founding mothers of Barents Press International. She was as an enthusiastic project coordinator for Barents Press to the bitter end. Her engagement for journalist cooperation in the Barents Region can not be overestimated.

Elena became the voice of Murmansk. Her journalistic work during the tragedy of the Russian submarine “Kursk” in August 2000 stands as an example how independent and critical journalism should be implemented. She never in her work lost her faith in a truly free press in Russia. For that she also received a press prize from Zeit-Stiftung Hamburg and the Norwegian Fritt Ord.

We have lost a friend, a loving person, and a beautiful and decent soul. We promise you, to try to follow in your footsteps.

Our thoughts go to Elena’s husband and her two daughters.


Rune Gjertin Rafaelsen

The Norwegian Barents Secretariat