Testimonials
These are the voices of people who know Mike
June 5, 2026
"Aujourd'hui, j'ai appris avec une profonde tristesse la condamnation (16 ans de prison pour haute trahison) de Mikhaïl (Mike) Lochtchinine.
Je ne suis ni juge, ni avocat, et je respecte les institutions ainsi que les décisions de justice. Je souhaite simplement témoigner de l'homme que j'ai connu pendant de nombreuses années.
Dans le cadre de nombreux projets culturels au Luxembourg, j'ai eu l'occasion de collaborer étroitement avec Mike. J'ai toujours rencontré un homme discret, courtois, passionné par la culture, les arts et la création. Son univers était celui des spectacles, de la photographie, de la vidéo, mais aussi des voyages et de la moto, deux passions qui lui permettaient de découvrir le monde et d'aller à la rencontre des autres.
Je ne l'ai jamais connu autrement que comme une personne calme, respectueuse et profondément attachée à ses activités créatives. Ceux qui ont travaillé à ses côtés dans le monde culturel luxembourgeois garderont le souvenir d'un collaborateur sérieux et d'un homme de confiance.
Les événements d'aujourd'hui me remplissent de tristesse. Mes pensées vont à Mike, à sa famille, à ses proches et à tous ceux qui traversent cette épreuve avec lui.
Au-delà des convictions, des frontières et des circonstances, n'oublions jamais qu'il y a derrière chaque dossier une vie humaine, une histoire personnelle et des êtres qui souffrent."
June 5, 2026
I know Mike
"I know Mike very well. He is my friend and former colleague who used to create videos for my agency. Back when I was living in Luxembourg, he would sometimes come to my office in Sandweiler, and he always brought cappuccino with him.
One day he came in proudly telling me that he had bought some product and that, as if by magic, his hair had suddenly become thicker and started growing again. It was such a Mike story.
Yesterday, I sent a letter to the President of the Russian Federation asking for his pardon. I also sent an application requesting my appointment as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to France.
At this point, all I can do is hope and try to give him hope as well. You can find my Facebook page, Anastasia Citromantic.
I have published the letters and the envelope that was sent. I would be very glad to stay in touch with you and do everything within my power to help Mike.
Please tell him that I love him very much as a friend, that I miss him, and that he is not forgotten.
With warm regards,
Anastasia"
June 4, 2026
Soirée Machete !!
"Peu de temps après le confinement, nous avions décidé de nous rencontrer pour une soirée de série B avec des films de Rodriguez. Mike avait apporté quelques bières, des Sprats et quelques sucreries pour mes fils. Nous avions discuté tranquillement du boulot et puis nous avions attaqué dans le dur avec Machete !! et la suite. Un régal. J’ai passé une excellente soirée pleine de rire. J’ai aussi découvert un homme sensible , curieux et passionné de locomotives. Il s’agit d’une véritable injustice et d’une mascarade de procès. Toutes mes pensées à toi et à toute ta famille."
May 17, 2026
Pour mon ami et collègue
"Monsieur, Madame,Je souhaite apporter mon témoignage concernant mon ami Michail Loschninine, que je connais depuis presque trois ans.J’ai rencontré Michail lorsque nous travaillions ensemble chez Luxair, avant que je ne change d’emploi. Durant toute cette période, il s’est toujours montré bienveillant, respectueux et profondément amical avec les personnes qui l’entouraient. Il faisait partie de ces collègues rares avec qui il est réellement agréable de travailler au quotidien.Au fil du temps, notre relation est devenue une véritable amitié. Nous passions régulièrement du temps ensemble en dehors du travail, notamment pour regarder des films ou jouer à Hero Quest dans mon sous-sol. Ces moments restent pour moi des souvenirs précieux.Michail est également un ingénieur brillant, passionné par son métier et très attaché à son pays d'origine. J’ai toujours vu en lui une personne réfléchie, intelligente et profondément humaine.Aujourd’hui, il me manque énormément. Je le considère sincèrement comme un frère, et je tiens à ce que ceux qui auront à le juger sachent qu’au-delà de la situation actuelle, il est pour moi une personne de grande valeur humaine.Je vous remercie de l’attention portée à ce témoignage."
March 13, 2026
We miss Mike!
"Mike has filmed a number of our shows and given up a great deal of his free time to edit them into professional-looking recordings that give us wonderful memories to look back on. He has always done this with a kind smile, and asks for very little in return. We miss his gentle presence, and hope that he will be back with us soon! We are with him every step of the way.'"
Feb. 22, 2026
"Mike has been a friend and member of the same theatre group. He has filmed many of our shows. One year he introduced us to his daughter. He is nice, friendly and reliable person. Always calm and smiling. His contribution was always on the volunteer basis, as it is a practice for our theatre group. He was certainly not an enemy of any state. I hope that he will be released. He has many friends in Luxembourg."
Feb. 21, 2026
"Mike is a hugely valued member of the Luxembourg theatre scene, where he's kindly given up lots of free time to create recordings of our musical shows. He's a kind person and a much valued part of our community. There are a great many of us here in Luxembourg following his story and hoping for his return! The idea that something so awful could happen to someone so sweet and creative and so close to home is horrifying."
Jan. 12, 2026
"Mike is about the kindest person I have met in my 40 years career. He is the kind of person that looks after other people before himself. This kindness is now used against him :-( I will not forget he was the person who dropped everything to drive me around in Luxemburg all day, because of the sudden eye problem...Nothing else mattered for him at that time...This is the person that Russia is nor torturing and jailing without any serious reason..."
Jan. 10, 2026
"Je connais Mike depuis 25 ans. Je l'ai accueilli en Belgique en 2000 dans ma société. Apprendre que Mike était emprisonné en Russie a été pour moi un choc.
Il est entré dans ma vie d’entrepreneur comme une véritable lumière. Malgré les circonstances difficiles qu’il avait dû affronter pour parvenir jusqu’en Belgique, il n’a jamais cessé d’avancer avec dignité, courage et humanité.
Durant les dix années où j’ai eu la chance d’avoir Mike au sein de mon équipe, je n’ai jamais, vraiment jamais été déçu. Bien au contraire, cela n'a été que du plaisir. Mike est intelligent, sensible, altruiste, passionné, dévoué. Ces années n’ont été faites que de moments de bonheur et de confiance partagée.
Lorsque je l’ai revu il y a environ un an, à Luxembourg, nous avons passé un moment magnifique ensemble, autour d’un repas dans un restaurant russe. Un moment simple, chaleureux, qui reste gravé en moi.
Découvrir aujourd’hui ce qu’il a traversé est profondément bouleversant. C’est pour cela que je souhaite me battre pour sa libération. Personne ne devrait endurer ce qu’il vit; c'est tellement injuste.
J’espère que toutes les personnes qui découvriront l’histoire de Mike prendront le temps de faire un geste, petit ou grand. Un message de soutien, un témoignage, un appui quel qu’il soit. Chaque geste compte. Chacun peut contribuer, à sa mesure, à lui redonner espoir et à soutenir son combat pour la liberté."
Jan. 7, 2026
"I have known Mikhail since 2024. He worked with my friends on theatrical productions as a lighting technician and sound engineer. In 2025 we worked together. For Russian-language performances, his ability to read lighting and sound scores in Russian was invaluable.
He was always deeply committed to art and creative work and never refused to offer his help.
What has happened to him follows a well-established pattern used by repressive states. To maximize the intimidating effect, such regimes deliberately select random individuals as victims and imprison them. This creates a climate of fear and simultaneously forms a reserve of hostages for future political bargaining.
It may seem obvious to say that one should avoid traveling to Russia, Belarus, or other countries with similar political systems in order to protect oneself and others. However, such judgments are easy to make in the abstract, over a cup of coffee, until the situation involves one’s own father, who has suffered a heart attack.
As a sociologist, I can state that people living in exile are often forced to invent alternative rituals of farewell to loved ones whose funerals they cannot attend. They face situations in which they are unable to accompany family members on their final journey, to hold their hand before death, or to say goodbye in person. Not everyone is able to live with this reality afterward; for many, it is experienced as an unbearable moral burden, perceived as cowardice or moral failure. They choose to travel to repressive countries, risking their own lives, in the hope that they will escape the attention of the system because they are just ordinary people, neither politicians nor activists."
Jan. 7, 2026
"What happened to Mikhail has revealed sharp internal contrasts within the local diaspora. For years, he was known as someone who provided practical assistance to those in need — helping with documentation, housing, and employment, often informally and without public recognition.Following the events involving him, many of the same individuals have become reluctant to speak about him publicly. Some decline to comment altogether; others insist on anonymity. This shift is notable not because of its scale, but because of its context.The silence is unfolding in a country with a well-established democratic system and formal protections for freedom of expression. Yet within the diaspora, fear has taken hold. People behave as if their words are being monitored, as if public association or even verbal acknowledgment could carry unforeseen consequences.This atmosphere of self-censorship suggests a widening gap between democratic principles as codified in law and the realities of social behavior within vulnerable communities. The case of Mikhail has thus become more than a personal story — it reflects how fear can persist, and even intensify, within open societies."