December 01, 2019

Televised Bravery


Televised Bravery

The primetime news on Channel One, hosted by the stone-faced Katerina Andreyeva, is the jewel in the crown of Russia's propaganda machine. But on Monday, the program was interrupted by a woman who yelled "Stop the war! No war!" and managed to show a giant sign saying, "Don't believe the propaganda! They are lying to you!" for several seconds before the camera turned off.

 

The bold action shocked and awed Russians, going instantly viral: very rarely does state television show any chinks in its armor (though some foreigners working for RT have quit live on air). Channel One news is Russia's most-watched channel and has what is considered the best coverage in the country, seen by millions of people.

The woman was quickly identified as Marina Ovsyannikova, who worked for the channel as an editor.

Prior to bursting into the studio, Ovsyannikova recorded a statement on video.

Here is the full text in English:

 

"What is happening right now in Ukraine is a crime, Russia is an aggressor country and the responsibility for this aggression is on just one person, and this person is Vladimir Putin. My father is Ukrainian, my mother is Russian, and they have never been enemies. This necklace I am wearing is a symbol -- Russia must immediately stop this fratricidal war and our brotherly nations can still find peace. Unfortunately, over the last years, I have been working on Channel One, I was involved in Kremlin propaganda, and I am now very ashamed. I am ashamed that I allowed lies to be told from TV screens, I am ashamed that I let them zombify Russian people. We were silent in 2014, when all of this was just starting, we did not protest when the Kremlin poisoned Navalny. We were just silently watching this inhuman regime, and now the entire world has turned away from us. Ten generations following our children will not be able to wash away the shame of this fratricidal war. We are Russian people, we are thinking and intelligent people, and only we can stop this madness. Go out to the streets, don't be afraid, they cannot put us all in jail."

In the atmosphere of fear and tightening repressions, where people are arrested even for holding a blank piece of paper, Ovsyannikova's action was praised by many as incredibly brave. Rights groups quickly dispatched lawyers to help her deal with the legal consequences of her protest. Her bold gesture will undoubtedly be remembered by many.

The Guardian newspaper's front page for Tuesday, March 15

On Tuesday, Ovsyannikova was fined for her protest, after what she described as a 14-hour-long interrogation. By Russian law, a person cannot be arrested on an administrative charge if they take care of minors (Ovsyannikova has two children). However, reports said the Russian Investigative Committee is also looking into charging her with a criminal offense, which could carry up to 10 years in prison.

See Also

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Russia Rules

Russia Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Steppe / Степь

Steppe / Степь

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
PO Box 567
Montpelier VT 05601-0567

802-223-4955