October 20, 2026, 10:53 AMRSSRU

Leonid Nikolaev

DeceasedChecked October 18, 2026

Leonid Nikolaev, born 1983, Saint Petersburg. Charges: Article 213 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Hooliganism); “The case of the band "War"”. Status: deceased. Recognition: Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as a political prisoner, July 9, 2011.

In brief

Saint Petersburg · Saint Petersburg · Artists

Sentence

No information about a verdict.

Charges

Full wording of the charges

turning over police cars

Latest event

October 11, 2011 — persecution ends

Checked October 18, 2026 · no changes since October 15

Recognition by rights defenders

Timeline

  1. · Persecution ends

  2. · Recognised as a political prisoner

    Memorial Human Rights Centre

  3. · Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility

    TDF of the Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast

  4. · Persecution begins

    The case of the band "War"

Criminal case

The case of the band "War"

Other defendants in the case

Thematic group: The case of the band "War"

Details and sources

Full summary

According to OVD-Info

On the morning of November 15, 2010, a rented flat in Moscow, where the group members resided, was subjected to a search conducted by operatives from the Centre for Combating Extremism who had arrived from St. Petersburg. The individuals present in the flat were taken to the Begovoy police department, while Oleg Vorotnikov and Leonid Nikolaev were transported to St. Petersburg. During the transport, bags were placed over their heads, and they were subjected to disproportionate by police officers, resulting in visible signs of beatings. On November 16, the detainees were transferred to a pre-trial detention center in St. Petersburg. On November 17, during a hearing for preventive measures, a decision was made to detain them for two months. The charges were based on their involvement in the "Coup d'état" protest action at the Mikhailovsky Castle, during which several police cars were overturned.

On November 24, 2010, Vorotnikov and Nikolaev were initially charged under paragraph "b" of Part 1 of Article 213 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which pertains to 'Hooliganism, i.e., gross violation of public order, expressing obvious disrespect for society, committed on the grounds of political, ideological, racial, national, or religious hatred or enmity, or on the grounds of hatred or enmity towards a social group.' Subsequently, on December 21, the charges were reclassified to paragraph "b" of Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 213 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which relates to hooliganism committed by a group of individuals.

On February 22, the Dzerzhinsky District Court decided to release Nikolaev on bail of 300,000 rubles. The required bail was paid on February 24, and the artist was released from pre-trial detention. On October 11, 2011, the case against Vorotnikov and Nikolaev was closed. However, in November, it was reopened at the request of the prosecutor's office. Nikolaev remained in hiding from law enforcement agencies for several years.

On September 22, 2015, he tragically passed away after a tree-cutting accident.

All fields of the record
Citizenship
Russia
Place of detention
Pre-trial detention centre No. 1, Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast
Sources (1)

Other people prosecuted under Article 213 part 1, Russian Criminal Code

Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.

All 2 under this article →