Russian chef Alexei Zimin, known for anti-war stance, found dead in Belgrade apartment

Alexei Zimin

, a well-known

Russian chef

living in London and a vocal critic of the war in Ukraine, was found dead in his

Belgrade apartment

in Serbia on Tuesday.
Zimin was in Belgrade to promote his new book, Anglomania. He was found in his rented apartment, which was locked from the inside, according to a source close to the investigation. Prosecutors have said that the death does not appear suspicious, but an autopsy will be conducted.
Zimin was a prominent figure in the

culinary world

. “Throughout his remarkable life, Alexei accomplished a lot — he served as deputy editor-in-chief of Afisha magazine, founded Afisha.Food, and also worked as editor-in-chief of Afisha World, GQ, and Gourmet,” said a statement on the Instagram page of ZIMA, his London restaurant. He had also opened several restaurants in Moscow before leaving in 2014.
Born in Russia in 1971, Zimin had opened multiple restaurants in Moscow before leaving the country following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Zimin became an outspoken critic of the war, shared anti-war messages, and stopped his Saturday cooking show on a pro-Kremlin TV station.