Production designer Alexander Kondratov, accused of treason, has died in Moscow at the age of 52. He was admitted to the Botkin Hospital after being released from the pre-trial detention center on October 23. The cause of death and the exact circumstances surrounding it have not yet been clarified.
“At this stage, neither the cause of death nor the exact circumstances are known“, said his lawyer Natalia Tikhonova, quoted by RBC. The Moscow Public Oversight Committee reported that Kondratov had been feeling unwell due to heart problems. There is no official confirmation that this is the cause of death.
From administrative arrests to a treason case
Kondratov was detained on May 5 at Moscow's Vnukovo airport after returning to Russia to replace his passport. Since 2012, he has lived in Kiev, where his family remained.
Before the criminal case was opened, the artist spent more than 70 days under consecutive administrative arrests. Initially, he was sentenced to 15 days for petty hooliganism, after which the arrests were repeated under administrative proceedings.
A treason case was opened against him on August 5. According to lawyer Tikhonova, the accusation is related to at least six publications on the Internet, the content of which has not been publicly disclosed. In September, a Moscow court ruled that Kondratov should remain in pre-trial detention, and the decision was later confirmed by the city court.
Awards for “Liquidation“
Kondratov is known for his work as a production designer on the series “Liquidation“, broadcast in 2007. The action takes place in post-war Odessa, and the main role is played by Vladimir Mashkov.
For the visual design of the series, Kondratov received the “TEFI“ television award and the cinematographic “Golden Eagle“ in 2008. He has also worked on other Russian television productions, including “Odessa-Mama“ and “Bring Back My Love“.
The human rights project “First Department“ reports that Kondratov's death is at least the 11th known case in 2026 of a person dying in Russian custody or prison while being held in a case described by human rights activists as politically motivated.
Sources: themoscowtimes.com, rbc.ru, zona.media