Zimin, Alexei
Alexei Alexandrovich Zimin was a prominent Russian writer, chef, journalist, and restaurateur who became known for his critical stance against the Russian government. Born on 13 December 1971 in Dubna near Moscow, he made significant contributions to Russia’s culinary and media landscape[1].
Professional Career
Zimin had an impressive career in media and gastronomy. He served as:
- Deputy editor-in-chief of Afisha magazine
- Editor-in-chief of Afisha World, Gourmet, and GQ Russia
- Host of a popular cooking show on NTV
- Founder of Afisha.Food and a food magazine, Afisha Eda
- Owner of Moscow’s first chef’s table restaurant, Ragout
- Co-owner of ZIMA restaurant in London’s Soho district[1][2]
Political Stance and Exile
After criticizing the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and speaking out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Zimin faced professional consequences. His NTV cooking show was cancelled after he posted an anti-war video on Instagram singing an anti-war song[1][2].
Later Life and Death
Zimin had been living in exile in the United Kingdom since 2015. In November 2024, while promoting his book Anglomania in Belgrade, Serbia, he was found dead. The Serbian authorities reported no suspicious circumstances, and an autopsy revealed he died from liver cirrhosis and aortic rupture[1][3][4].
Personal Life
He was married to Tatiana Dolmatovskaya, a costume designer, and they had three children: Varvara, Nikolai, and Paul. Zimin was cremated in Belgrade and buried at Highgate Cemetery on 13 December 2024[1].
Citations: [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexei_Zimin [2] https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/alexei-zimin-zima-soho-london-russia-war-hotel-death-belgrade-b1193787.html [3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7049jn5kd3o [4] https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/alexei-zimin-a-uk-based-russian-chef-who-criticised-vladimir-putin-found-dead-in-serbia-hotel-7014924 [5] https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/11/13/a-symbol-of-a-moscow-that-no-longer-exists [6] https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/russian-chef-alexei-zimin-london-dead-mystery-putin-critic/ [7] https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%97%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%BD,%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%B9%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 [8] https://www.instagram.com/zimarestaurant/p/DCT2YZei4Gc/
Image credits will be appear here if included https://images.lbc.co.uk/images/687422?crop=16_9&width=660&relax=1&format=webp&signature=xbCMnOB5B7WcpfudY4tjydeAErc%3D
