Veronika Akopyan
Open Letter by Sasha Skochilenko, 15.04.2022

About Sasha Skochilenko

Aleksandra Yuryevna Skochilenko (born 13 September 1990), also known as Sasha Skochilenko, is a Russian artist, musician, poet, and former political prisoner. Skochilenko was detained in April 2022 for distributing anti-war messages in Saint Petersburg. Amnesty International declared Skochilenko a prisoner of conscience, the Memorial human rights organization recognized her as a political prisoner. In November 2023, Skochilenko was sentenced to seven years in prison under Russia's "fake news" law. She was released in Ankara on 1 August 2024 as part of a complex international exchange of prisoners.

Sources

About Letters from the Silenced

Letters from the Silenced, a project by Veronika Akopyan, sheds light on activists and political prisoners from the USSR and modern Russia who have faced state repression for their civil and anti-war stances. Inspired by The Return of Names, an annual remembrance organized by the human rights group "Memorial," this project preserves stories of defiance and hope.

Through monthly comics for KIOSK, Akopyan shares powerful biographies and letters, honoring the ongoing struggle for justice and fostering solidarity against oppression.

About Veronika Akopyan

Veronika Akopyan is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Ghent, Belgium. She holds a specialist degree in Graphic Art and Illustration from the Moscow Stroganov Art and Design Academy and a master’s in Graphic Design from KASK School of Arts in Ghent (2023).

Her work, blending storytelling with visual artistry, has been exhibited internationally, from London to Tokyo, and has earned numerous awards. These include the “Image of the Book” awards (2021, 2022), the Grand Prix for Fazil Iskander illustrations (2021), and multiple honors from the American Art Awards. With a passion for storytelling and a fondness for visual expression, she crafts narratives that engage the mind and spark the imagination.