On December 7, 2008, a “Peace Run” was organized by UPF-Georgia as part of the Global Peace Festival with the support of visiting Russian Ambassador for Peace Eduard Yakovlev, President of the International Super Marathon Association. About 150 people took part, including 18 handicapped people.

Mr. Yakovlev said that since he did not feel very well that morning, he would only run one mile with the runners, and a car remained on hand nearby. However, after running just two blocks, he collapsed with a heart attack and died on the way to the hospital.

As a Russian who came for peace to Georgia — he was wearing a T-shirt with both the Russian and Georgian flags — his death became the center of media attention. The Russian consul in Tbilisi received a call of condolence from the leader of the Georgian Parliament, and later that day Georgian officials said that if his family agreed to have him buried in Georgia, his body would be put into the Pantheon of Georgian Heroes.

However, his family naturally asked that his body be returned to Russia, and Russian local authorities then did their best to support the process of repatriating him to Moscow through Armenia since there is no longer any direct communication between Georgia and Russia.

With his passing, UPF and the Russian people have lost a great Ambassador for Peace, whose enthusiasm for the task continued until the very last moment of his life. We will continue the noble work for which he gave everything he had.

For more information about the South Caucasus Peace Initiative, click here.