Media personality and opposition figure Ksenia Sobchak is making light of a recent police raid on her apartment by appearing in an ad campaign mocking police over the incident.
The Tinkoff Credit Systems advertisement, a copy of which was posted on YouTube, recreates the events of June 11, when police searched Sobchak's apartment, seizing envelopes containing $1.7 million in various currencies as part of an ongoing investigation into violence at an opposition protest on May 6.
In the commercial, Sobchak is woken up by the sound of knocking on her bedroom door. As she rises from the bed, police officers rush up to her and ask, "Where's the money? The rubles, euros, dollars?"
As Sobchak stands bemused, officers cut through the door of a nearby safe with a power tool, apparently thinking they've hit the jackpot. But when they pull out a sole envelope containing two credit cards, a smile appears on Sobchak's face.
"Keep your money in Tinkoff Credit Systems bank, and not in an envelope at home," Sobchak says, addressing the cameras.
Since the raid, police have threatened to bring charges of tax evasion against Sobchak, suspecting her of keeping a portion of her earnings from the state.
Sobchak, who did not attend the May 6 March of Millions rally that police are investigating, cited her multimillion-dollar income from TV appearances to explain why she had so much cash. She called the authorities' accusations an attempt to provoke her into publicly revealing her income.
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.
Remind me later.