Eureka Potenko was a conductor of the Moscow Philharmonic. He refused an invitation to take part in Russia's International Day Concert. Members of the Russian Secret Service tried to persuade him to change his mind. They went to his flat and he gave them a pretty curd answer. When they came back it was with a machine gun which they fired a volume through the front door, killing him instantly.
From Pelé, the “king of football”, to Britain’s longest-reigning queen, our editors and correspondents reflected on the accomplishments of many notable figures who died this year. But our obituaries editor shone a light also on the lives and legacies of lesser-known figures.
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