Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Media Ordered to Remove Photo of Anti-Putin Graffiti

Navalny St. Petersburg Headquarters / Twitter

A Russian state agency charged with overseeing media and blocking websites has forced at least one news outlet to take down a photograph of graffiti critical of President Vladimir Putin. 

Police in St. Petersburg detained supporters of liberal presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak on Sunday on suspicion of spray painting the phrase “Against Putin” on a frozen river. Putin is widely expected to win a fourth presidential term in elections scheduled for March 18. 

On Monday, the St. Petersburg-based Business News Agency said it was ordered by a local branch of the state media watchdog Roskomnadzor to remove the photograph of the graffiti from the river.

“We can’t display the protesters’ slogan at the urgent request of Roskomnadzor,” the agency wrote in a text superimposed on the graffiti while keeping the photo of the frozen Fontanka River intact, as seen in a picture tweeted by local activists.

The Mediazona news website later reported that two other St. Petersburg-based news outlets had removed the photographs from their coverage of the activists’ arrests.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more