Power in memory: a bas-relief in honor of military commander Semyon Yeremin was unveiled at Izvestia Military Research Center

There were a lot of red roses and touching memories mixed with pain, such was the opening ceremony of the bas—relief to the military correspondent of Izvestia, Semyon Eremin. The journalist died while filming a story in the free military zone in the Zaporizhia region on April 19, 2024 — he was fatally injured during a drone attack. Almost a year after Semyon's tragic death, colleagues opened a bronze bas-relief in his memory. It appeared in the editorial office of Izvestia on the 43rd birthday of the journalist and became an expression of love and memory of our colleague.

"Leaving the light is more than staying"

In Moscow, the memory of the Izvestia war correspondent Semyon Yeremin was immortalized — a bas-relief with his image was unveiled in the Izvestia News Center building on February 25. The date was not chosen by chance — our colleague would have turned 43 on this day.

Semyon Eremin died on April 19, 2024, while filming a report in a special operation zone during an FPV drone attack.Colleagues, relatives and friends of the journalist who gathered at the ceremony said that on this day, almost a year later, the wound from his tragic passing did not heal, but only became more painful.

Yeremin went through many hot spots, worked in Syria and the Caucasus, and has been covering events in Donbass since 2014. He has been working in the SVO zone since its beginning in February 2022. As part of the film crew, he was one of the first to report from the city of Volnovakha in March 2022, when Russian troops took down the Ukrainian flag at the entrance to the settlement. He covered the liberation of Marinka, Mariupol, and Ugledar. Among the first to make materials about Russian unique developments — the Lancet UAV and the Solntsepek flamethrower system.

According to the author of the bas-relief, sculptor Alexander Nozdrin, he depicted the journalist in a bulletproof vest, showing that he worked in dangerous conditions, and used bronze as a symbol of eternal memory. The creation of the work took six months.

What Semyon Eremin managed to do would have been enough for ten lifetimes, said Svetlana Balanova, General Director of the National Media Group (NMG).

— Today we remember and pay tribute to the memory of a man who put honor, professional duty and truth above his own risks, above his own life. And, of course, Semyon left very early," she said. — He was the eyes, ears and heart of millions of people, to whom he gave the truth about what was happening in the world. We are proud that Semyon was a member of our team, and we will do everything to preserve his memory.

Vladimir Tyulin, General Director of Izvestia News Center, said that Semyon Eremin joined Izvestia from the very beginning of the founding of the National Media Group.

— Semyon personified how we saw Izvestia — he was a modern, reliable, open and kind person,— said Vladimir Tyulin. — Now everyone who comes to work with us will see Semyon and remember him. And I want to believe that they will want to be at least a little bit like him.

Petr Marchenko, the host of the "Final Program" on REN TV, called Yeremin an excellent war correspondent, one of the most experienced in the country.

— There are wonderful words: "Leaving the light is more than staying." Semyon was a great reporter, he was not only about the war, but also about life," he noted.

"It happened as if yesterday...»

Semyon Yeremin's widow, Victoria, met her future husband at work — they were both employees of Channel Five, which is now part of Izvestia.

— It's been almost a year since Semyon is not with us, for me it's like it happened yesterday," she said. — I try very hard to keep the memory of Semyon alive and I am very grateful that I am not alone in this desire. Thank you for hiring me once, I found my professional path here and met Semyon here. It's very valuable to me, thank you very much.

The military commander has two daughters, and the youngest was born just two months before her father's death.

Military commander Valentin Trushnin, who worked side by side with Semyon Yeremin for a long time, thanked everyone who tries to perpetuate Semyon's memory and admitted that he was very worried about him.

— You go into our correspondent's room, and there's Semyon's desk, and there are so many memories at once," he said. — Now everyone who enters these walls will see Semyon's face and understand that this is the editorial office. Semyon raised the bar very high, both professionally and universally. To an unattainable height. But at least we will strive for it. We have a landmark. Eternal memory to Semyon Yeremin.

According to colleagues and acquaintances, the military commander saw his goal in the SVO zone somewhat broader than the set editorial tasks. After his death, Yulia Svirshchevskaya, a resident of the Donetsk village of Nikolskoye, recalled how in April 2022 Semyon Eremin helped her and a child with autism to evacuate from the shelling zone.

— He picked us up, took a chance, took Kolya and me together, brought us to Donetsk to my mom, took out the bags," the woman said. — He gave me instructions on how to change myself a little bit, to be softer, more restrained. I have never seen such love for children, such indifference to people.

Back in 2016, the military commander of Izvestia, Semyon Eremin, proposed creating a mural on the territory of Donetsk airport in memory of the children of Donbass with a profile picture of his daughter and the hashtag #101.The number symbolized the number of children who died in the region at that time. In 2024, Izvestia held action #101/330, during which they told the stories of children whose lives were tragically cut short.

In September last year, a mural was opened in Balashikha, Moscow region, in honor of the deceased military commander — his figure in a bulletproof vest rises almost to the full height of a multi-storey building. Two awards are depicted nearby — the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree, which the journalist received during his lifetime, and the Order of Courage, to which he was presented posthumously.

And in May 2024, a mural appeared in Balashikha, where Semyon Eremin is depicted together with the character of Sergei Bodrov from the movie "Brother". The inscription above the graffiti characters reads "The power is in the truth."

In one of the last photographs of Semyon Eremin from the Izvestia archive, the military commander stands in a bulletproof vest and helmet with a video camera against a bright blue sky. Semyon in the picture holds a small spotted kitten in his arms and smiles.