Anthony Bourdain Russian fixer Zamir Gotta was among hundreds of fans in Moscow who turned out in September for the city’s premiere of “Tony,” a new Hollywood film about the late chef’s early life. Eight years after Bourdain’s death, admirers in Russia gathered to celebrate the American chef, author, and television host, according to attendees at the event, which featured oysters and imported beer despite ongoing Western sanctions.
Katerina Kodenka, a recent university graduate wearing a shirt that read, “God, I miss Anthony Bourdain,” said his essays and television work still offer a blueprint for a kinder world. “Most of us want the same thing, peace, love and good food,” she said.
Anthony Bourdain Russian fixer at the heart of his Russia trips
Gotta, now 70, first met Bourdain in the early 2000s during filming for the debut series “A Cook’s Tour,” when a producer sought help from an English-speaking fixer in Russia. He recalled greeting a tall man with an earring and a large ring who, at first glance, “looked like a rock star.”
The partnership quickly moved beyond logistics, with Gotta stepping on camera at Bourdain’s request, serving as what Bourdain called an “icebreaker” for Russian audiences.
The on-screen rapport mixed food adventures, wry spy humor, and frequent vodka toasts. Their collaboration spanned networks as Bourdain moved from the Food Network to the Travel Channel.
A friendship formed across Cold War divides, with Gotta guiding Bourdain through Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union. Bourdain later brought Gotta to the United States to film episodes in cities including Buffalo, New York, and Detroit, Michigan.
Gotta reflected on their parallel origins, noting they were born the same year but in “totally different universes,” which he said made them complement each other.
News of Bourdain’s death by suicide in 2018 shocked Gotta, who said he was devastated. Four years later, Gotta’s son Anton, named in part for Bourdain, also died by suicide at age 20.
Gotta described the compounded grief as reopening an “open wound” and said he has spent years working to make peace with the loss.
Gotta followed through on a promise to his friend by publishing a memoir, “The Fixer And The Chef,” in English last year. He also launched Zamir’s Peacemaker vodka in the United States, an idea he attributed to Bourdain.
He noted that his name carries a message in Russian, saying, “Ya Zamir, I am for peace,” while acknowledging that peace advocacy is difficult in the current climate.
Bourdain’s final visit to Russia came in 2014 with CNN’s “Parts Unknown,” where he and Gotta revisited their familiar rhythm while taking stock of rising nationalism under President Vladimir Putin. In that episode, Bourdain discussed Putin’s leadership in blunt terms and drew a comparison that some viewers later described as prescient, quipping that Putin was like Donald Trump “but shorter.”
During a recent visit to Gotta’s Moscow apartment, he prepared pelmeni for a modest dinner and insisted dumplings should be paired with vodka. He admitted he is not much of a cook, joking that he had forgotten to buy rye bread.
What endures, he said, is Bourdain’s belief that food can bridge divides. “No walls, right? So let’s create the bridges,” Gotta said.
Gotta said therapy and public appearances have helped him process grief while raising awareness for suicide prevention. He urged others to release guilt and avoid replaying unanswerable questions.
“By all means, toast the memories,” he said, adding that every story needs hope. The lesson he keeps is one he associates with Bourdain: keep moving.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.