Boris Strugatsky, the legendary Russian author, passed away on Monday 19 November at a hospital in St Petersburg.

The Strugatsky brothers, Arcady and Boris, have always been the most important authors for Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

From Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s letter to Boris Strugatsky in 2008: “Your books – my friends from an early age to the present day. I really hope that there will be more, as there is no such thing as too many friends”.

From Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s 2012 book “Prison and Freedom”: “In general, I was and still am a fan of science fiction. Bulgakov, like Tolstoy, for me, are “antique” writers. I read them, but was not impressed. The Strugatsky brothers are much more interesting, though, I really understood them closer to my 40s.”Malish”, “Trudno bit Bogom”, “Picnic na obotchine”[Roadside Picnic]. There are at least three levels of perception. When you finally come to the third, you begin to dislike not only the “Soviet power”, but any totalitarian or authoritarian rule in principle. I am not sure that this is exactly what the Strugatsky brothers wanted to achieve, but they did”.

Arcady Strugatsky (left) and Boris Strugatsky (right)