Zhanna Borisovna Nemtsova (born 1984) is a journalist and the daughter of Boris Nemtsov, the first governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region. She was born in Gorky — renamed Nizhny Novgorod in 1990 — and her family moved to Moscow in 1997. She worked as a host and reporter on Russian television and radio, and later at the Russian-language service of Deutsche Welle (listed in the register of foreign agents); in 2015 she left Russia and founded a foundation named after her father.[1][2][4]
Family and childhood
Zhanna Nemtsova (listed in the register of foreign agents) was born in 1984 in Gorky to Boris and Raisa Nemtsov, and was the politician's only child born within an official marriage.[1]
Her father became the first governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region and led the region until 1997, when he was appointed deputy prime minister of the Russian government; after that the family moved to Moscow.[1][2]
I was a patriot of Nizhny Novgorod and was wary of Moscow. It seemed to me that provincial life was wonderful, while the capital's nouveau-riche lifestyle was a real nightmare.[4]
Education and work in journalism
In Moscow, Zhanna Nemtsova finished school and briefly studied at a university in the United States, then returned to Russia and transferred to MGIMO, from which she graduated in 2005 with a degree in world economics.[1]
She began her career in journalism as an assistant to a news anchor at the radio station Echo of Moscow, then became a news anchor and reporter herself; later she worked as a reporter for RBC.[1][4]
Departure from Russia and work in Germany
On February 27, 2015, Boris Nemtsov was shot dead on the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge in Moscow.[4] A few months after her father's murder, Zhanna Nemtsova left Russia.[1]
At first she lived in Bonn, where she worked in the Russian-language service of Deutsche Welle and hosted her own program.[1] According to Nizhny Novgorod media outlets, she later moved to Prague.[1]
The Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom
In November 2015, Zhanna Nemtsova founded the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom in Germany (its activities have been designated "undesirable" on the territory of Russia), headquartered in Bonn.[1]
The Russian-German foundation aimed to support educational initiatives: it funded education and professional development, joint German-Russian events, and the promotion of European values.[2]
In 2024, the Russian Ministry of Justice added the foundation to its list of undesirable non-governmental organizations.[2]
Criminal case and international wanted notice
On July 31, 2026, the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow arrested Zhanna Nemtsova in absentia: she has been charged with organizing the activities of a foreign or international organization designated as undesirable in Russia (Part 3 of Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code).[2]
The preventive measure chosen was detention for two months; the term is counted from the moment of detention in Russia or of transfer to Russian law enforcement authorities in the event of extradition or deportation.[2]
On September 17, 2026, the Moscow City Court, while considering the defense's appeal against the arrest in absentia, put Zhanna Nemtsova on the international wanted list.[3]
A Book About Her Father
Zhanna Nemtsova is the author of the book "Her Father's Daughter," published by EKSMO. In it she tells the story of her family, their years in Nizhny Novgorod, the move to Moscow, her father's career, and the day of his murder.[4]
The German media company Deutsche Welle was added to the register of foreign agents by decision of the Russian Ministry of Justice of March 28, 2022[5].
The activities of the "Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom" were declared undesirable on the territory of the Russian Federation by decision of the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia of March 13, 2024; the organization was added to the list by order of the Russian Ministry of Justice of April 16, 2024, No. 464-r[6].
Zhanna Nemtsova was added to the register of foreign agents by decision of the Russian Ministry of Justice of October 2, 2026, on the basis of Article 7 of Federal Law No. 255-FZ of July 14, 2022, "On the Control of the Activities of Persons Under Foreign Influence"[5].
As grounds for the listing, the Russian Ministry of Justice cited her dissemination of materials by other persons on the same register, her organization of the work of a structure whose activities have been declared undesirable in Russia, and public statements criticizing the actions of the Russian armed forces. Zhanna Nemtsova's cousin Igor Eidman, who is also on the register of foreign agents, was fined 30,000 rubles by a court in Nizhny Novgorod for violating the deadlines for submitting mandatory financial reports.[7]
Sources
- Open Nizhny — As grounds for adding Zhanna Nemtsova to the register of foreign agents, the Russian Ministry of Justice cited her dissemination of materials by other persons on the same reg
- NN.RU — Zhanna Nemtsova: Biography, International Wanted Notice, and Involvement in an Undesirable Organization
- Kommersant (Volga Region) — Boris Nemtsov's Daughter Zhanna Arrested in Absentia in Russia
- NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — Boris Nemtsov's Daughter Put on International Wanted List (archive)
- novochag.ru — Novy Ochag — "Her Father's Daughter": An Excerpt from Zhanna Nemtsova's Book on Boris Nemtsov
- minjust.gov.ru — Register of Foreign Agents — Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation (archive)
- minjust.gov.ru — List of Foreign and International Non-Governmental Organizations Whose Activities Are Deemed Undesirable in the Territory of the Russian Federation — Ministry of Justice of Russia, Entry No. 157 (archive)