Princeton Schools To Celebrate Evan Gershkovich’s Release From Russian Prison

PRINCETON, NJ — Princeton School District's soccer team and the Wall Street Journal will be celebrating the recent release of Evan Gershkovich from Russian prison.

Gershkovich, 31, a journalist working for the Wall Street Journal, was detained by Russian officials on spying accusations in May last year.

He landed on U.S. soil late Thursday night after being freed from Russian prison in a historic prisoner swap.

A native of Princeton, Gershkovich graduated from Princeton High School in 2010. While at PHS he was the co-captain of the boys' soccer team.

Wayne Sutcliffe, PHS teacher and soccer coach, along with PHS graduates and former teammates from the class of 2010, worked to support Gershkovich’s family in their efforts to bring him home.

There will be a celebration on Aug. 25, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Conte's Pizza, to celebrate Gershovich’s safe return home. The private event is being organized by the PHS soccer team and the Wall Street Journal. It was originally planned as an awareness event.

"We are thrilled to be able to change this event to a celebration of Evan's return," Sutcliffe said in a statement.

Since the time of his incarceration, Princeton Public Schools and alumni have been working to raise awareness of Gershkovich’s detention.

A banner with #FreeEvan has been prominently displayed in the PHS boys' locker room.

And the soccer team has worn warm up in t-shirts displaying #IStandWithEvan, the hashtag used by WSJ to call attention to Gershkovich's detention.

The son of Soviet emigres who settled in New Jersey, Gershkovich moved to Russia in 2017 to work for The Moscow Times before being hired by the Journal in 2022.

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