The reluctant official: Meduza profiles Russia’s late emergencies minister Evgeny Zinichev, who did his utmost to avoid publicity but was thrust into spotlight

On Wednesday, September 8, Russia's Emergency Situations Minister Evgeny Zinichev died on Lake Lama, 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of the Arctic city of Norilsk. The Emergency Situations Ministry (EMERCOM) said that the incident took place "during drills" in the region -- allegedly, Zinichev died while attempting to save documentary filmmaker Alexander Melkin, who was standing next to the minister "on the edge of a cliff" when he slipped and fell into the water below. Melkin died, as well. This same version of events was recounted by RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan on Telegram (though she didn't reveal her source). The Kremlin dismissed other accounts of the circumstances surrounding Zinichev's death as "blasphemous, untrue fabrications." Meduza profiles the late Evgeny Zinichev -- "Putin's former bodyguard" who, much to his dismay, found himself in the political spotlight. Original Article: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2021/09/09/the-reluctant-official