Russian musician Vadim Stroykin, a prominent figure in the bard music genre, has died after reportedly falling from the window of his 10th-floor apartment during a police search.
The incident was reported by Russian media on Thursday.
According to the Mash Telegram channel, which has ties to Russian security services, Stroykin was being investigated for allegedly providing financial support to the Ukrainian military.
The Moscow Times further reported that had he been formally charged, Stroykin could have faced a prison sentence of up to 20 years under allegations of supporting a terrorist organization.
The St. Petersburg-based news outlet Fontanka stated that authorities raided Stroykin’s apartment in the Admiralteysky district on Wednesday as part of the case against him.
“He was last seen alive on the 10th floor when he stepped into the kitchen to drink water,” Fontanka said.
Moments later, Mash reported, the musician “hastily opened the window and committed the irreversible act.”
The exact time of death remains unclear, and independent verification of the reports is not possible at this time.
A preliminary investigation into Stroykin’s death is underway, according to the pro-Kremlin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda.
A Life in Music and Protest
Stroykin, aged 58 or 59, conflicting reports suggest he turned 59 in late January was originally from the Chelyabinsk region in central Russia. He had previously lived in Yekaterinburg before moving to St. Petersburg.
A prominent figure in the bard music scene, Stroykin hosted a bardic music programme on the now-defunct Yekaterinburg affiliate of Ekho Moskvy, a radio station shut down in 2022 amid a crackdown on independent media.
Over the last decade, he focused on teaching private guitar lessons, including at the apartment where he died.
Stroykin was also vocal in his criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, publicly denouncing the war on social media in 2022.
His alleged donations to Ukrainian forces if confirmed, could have provided grounds for legal action under Russia’s stringent anti-terrorism and wartime censorship laws.
His death comes amid increasing repression of artists and public figures who oppose the Kremlin’s military actions.
Last year, Russian jazz musician Igor Butman was sentenced to six years in prison for anti-war statements posted on Facebook.
Unanswered Questions
The circumstances surrounding Stroykin’s fall remain unclear. Authorities have not disclosed whether he was under surveillance during the search or if any foul play is suspected.
While Russian officials have labelled the incident a suicide, human rights organisations and opposition figures have raised concerns about a pattern of deaths involving Kremlin critics.
In the past two years, several politicians, journalists, and activists have fallen from high-rise buildings under unexplained circumstances.
As investigations continue, Stroykin’s death has raised fresh fears over the safety of dissenting voices in Russia, the reports noted.
