This letter is written by many friends of Sergey Golubev to make a few important points about his personality and qualities.

Many of us have known Sergey for 10-20 years and have a very strong impression that the unfortunate incident he got into is absolutely atypical for him and does not reflect his usual lifestyle.

We can confirm and testify that Sergey has never shown any signs of alcoholism. He has a clear mind, quiet temper, articulate and persuasive speech, sensible reasoning, brilliant intellect, balanced points of view and extensive knowledge in various aspects of life.

Sergey has a diverse scope of interests and is happy to share his knowledge and offer help to anyone in need. One of his greatest passions since childhood is construction in which he achieved the highest level of proficiency. Sergey is very good at mechanical equipment and machinery and is an excellent driver. None of us has ever seen him or heard of him driving recklessly, being involved in an accident, not to mention driving after consumption of alcohol.

Speaking of alcohol, we have never seen him lose control because of consumption. Sergey would never become agitated or aggressive, always staying aware and friendly. We know him as a good friend, nice person and prominent writer, artist and cultural figure.

And, what is more important, Sergey has decided to completely quit drinking to ensure that he can be a law-abiding citizen and that incidents like this can never again take place. Sergey is true to his word as of now.

In 1999, Sergey was the founder of Russian Independent Art Movement, an organization designed to help and support local Russian-speaking authors in pursuit of recognition and artistic career. He organized numerous shows, concerts and exhibitions for many talented artists. We know Sergey as a generous, outgoing, open-minded and compassionate person, always cheerful, helpful and fun to be with.

Sergey is also one of the founders of an influential Russian rock band "The Star Cooperation" which performed at some major events including music festivals, fundraisers for charities and even an exhibition at Zimmerli Art Museum. The band is still active.

Sergey has been an excellent friend to us all, a role model for moral and ethical values to many, and a landmark in local cultural scene. We are terrified at the news of this sad occurrence and express our sincere belief that it is a single unlucky lapse which will never happen again. We are standing behind him and totally supporting him in all his endeavors. We ask all people who know Sergey to voice their support for him by signing this petition. It is not fair that one accidental failure should ruin a good person's life.