“Vladimir Vladimirovich, people are afraid of you.” Those were the opening words of an Instagram post addressed to President Vladimir Putin by Russian beauty influencer Victoria Bonya, known for her make-up tips and lifestyle content.
“The people are afraid of you, bloggers are afraid of you, artists are afraid of you, governors are afraid of you. And you are the president of our country,” she continued.
In a direct appeal to Putin – who she says she supports – Bonya lists a wide range of ills in Russia. These include an alleged slow response to floods in Dagestan, claims the government brutally mismanaged recent livestock culls in Siberia and the intensifying restrictions on online social networks. This last, she alleged in Tuesday’s post, is preventing people from communicating with loved ones. “There’s a feeling that we’re no longer living in a free country,” she said.
By Friday afternoon, Bonya, who now lives in Monaco and has her own cosmetics line, had racked up 26 million views on her Instagram video, and more than 75,000 comments, many applauding her bravery.
Another popular Russian lifestyle and beauty influencer, who goes by Aiza and also lives abroad, took to her Instagram account to support Bonya, claiming the latest restrictions on the Telegram messaging platform would be a “huge hit to the Russian economy” and adding other grievances including high taxes and inequality. “How much money do you need to steal so that it’s enough?” she asked, citing “the average MP who owns property worth billions, millions of dollars and holds multiple (foreign) passports.” She later deleted the video.
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