Editor-DN
A Russian television chef who was an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has been found dead in Serbia, the BBC reports. Alexei Zeman, 52, was considered a household name in Russia before he left the country in 2014 after criticizing the Kremlin’s annexation of Crimea. He set up his new home and business in London but continued to host a popular cookery show on Russian broadcaster NTV. . However, the show was canceled in 2022 after he posted an anti-war message on social media following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Zeman was found dead in a hotel room in Belgrade. The BBC He traveled to the Serbian capital to promote his new book about British Anglomania, Russian media reported.
Serbian authorities have said there were “no suspicious circumstances” surrounding Mr Zeman’s death and that a post-mortem and toxicology report is ongoing.
Restaurant co-owner Katerina Tarnovskaya, 52, said people were “in shock”, adding that “when we last saw him, he was smiling and in a great mood”. “The dinner was wonderful and Alexey was very happy,” she said.
Mr Zeman’s restaurant in the UK also confirmed the chef’s death on Instagram. “For us, Alexey was not only a colleague but a friend, a close companion with whom we shared many experiences – good, kind and sometimes sad,” the restaurant said. It added: “We are deeply grateful for the kind words we received today in Alexey’s memory. We share this painful loss with you. The entire ZIMA team is with Alexey’s family. Heartfelt condolences and sorrow with them.”
Notably, Mr. Zeman was a prominent critic of Russia’s war in Ukraine. His Russian TV show ‘Cooking with Alexei Zeman’ was abruptly canceled by network NTV after he posted a video on social media singing an anti-war song.
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At the start of the war in 2022, Schiff also posted several anti-war statements on Instagram, including “Bring our troops home” and “This idea is unrealistic. Stop the war, recall the troops and bring your troops home”. .
“Like everyone who grew up in the USSR, I was brought up with the fairly common-sense belief that war is the worst thing that can happen. There are no excuses for it, and if there were, excuses now. It’s too late to make. As Rosenbaum sang, this madness has to stop and ‘war is not poker’.
Since moving to Britain, Mr Zeman has reportedly not returned to Russia. He previously said he and his restaurant Zima in central London, which has donated money to Ukrainian refugees, had been the target of threats.
