Evan Gershkovich had planned to spend the first week of April 2023 with friends in Berlin.
As a correspondent for The Wall Street Journal in Russia, he intended to stay in an Airbnb in the vibrant Neukölln neighborhood, using it as a base to explore the city's cobblestone streets with his journalist friends exiled from Moscow.
They looked forward to sipping coffee in hipster cafes and engaging in late-night conversations over glasses of beer.
However, Evan's plans took a dramatic turn.
On March 29, 2023, Russian authorities detained Evan in Yekaterinburg and transferred him to a jail in Moscow.
Despite being a fully accredited journalist on a reporting trip, he was detained on suspicion of espionage, a claim vehemently denied by him, his employer, and the U.S. government.
Evan lost a year of his life as a vibrant and curious 32-year-old. Instead of traveling around Europe and the U.S. with friends, family, and for work, he found himself incarcerated, missing out on weddings, major life events, and the dynamic changes in Russian reporting that were integral to his friendships and identity.
While in jail, Evan meets with his Russian lawyers weekly and attends court hearings where his pretrial detention is routinely extended.
He receives letters from loved ones, plays chess with his dad via mail, and immerses himself in Russian literature and history from the jail library.
Russian television near his bed provides a glimpse of the outside world, including updates on global events and occasional recaps of Arsenal games, offering him a sense of connection.
Before his detention, Evan had started a new chapter in London, where he had relocated after leaving Moscow.
He had settled into a flat near basketball courts, with plans to play more soccer with fellow journalists, watch Arsenal games at the Emirates stadium, and even committed to running a half marathon in Mallorca in May, despite being out of shape.
While Evan's friends and family continue with their lives, his absence is deeply felt. In Berlin, where many of his friends relocated after the Ukraine war, gatherings took place without him.
In the U.S., numerous friends got married, including his close college friend Simon Brooks, whose wedding Evan missed.
The absence of Evan's presence was particularly poignant over the New Year, a time when their group of friends traditionally rented a cottage outside Moscow.
Evan would prepare his family's recipe of Olivier salad, a dish filled with tradition and memories. However, this time, friends scattered, and the celebration was not the same without him.
Despite missing birthdays, holidays, and major world events, Evan's friends remain hopeful for his release.
One friend, Jeremy Berke, is set to marry another college friend in June, and they hold out hope that Evan will be there to celebrate with them.
Evan's story is one of resilience and the enduring bonds of friendship, even in the face of immense challenges.