July 01, 2025

The Persecution Doesn't Stay at Home


The Persecution Doesn't Stay at Home
A threat left on Sasha Kazantseva's Vilnius mailbox reading "Hello from Tselitel," a homophobic group. SotaVision, Telegram.

On June 24, a LGBT rights activist reported on Telegram that homophobic groups from Russia were still harassing her in exile in Lithuania. The harassers left a message on her mailbox in her Vilnius apartment reading, "Hello from [Imperia] Tselitelya," referring to a homophobic group.

Sasha Kazantseva is a sex educator and LGBT rights activist with over 26,000 Instagram followers and 42,000 members in her Telegram channel pomyla ruky ("washed hands"). On June 24, she wrote on her Telegram, "[They] are looking for me, today [they] came to my house in Vilnius. I want to say it publicity, because if something happens to me, it's better that more people know." Kazantseva said the homophobic Russian group targetting her is Imperia Tselitelya ("Empire of the Healer").

Kazantseva and the news channel SotaVision published a video to Telegram originally uploaded to Imperia Tselitelya's closed channel. The recording showed an unknown person approaching a group of houses. Then, the cameraman recorded a mailbox with the inscription.

This latest intimidation is just the tip of the iceberg. Kazantseva said that the extremist group organized a bot attack against LGBT accounts, including her own. On June 20, SK SOS, a group which protects queer persons in the Northern Caucasus, revealed it was also attacked by bots.

According to Kazantseva, Imperia Tselitelya has been trying to physically harm her. The activist said she suspects that, on the day of the attack, a man arrived with the intention of assaulting her, but she wasn't home. According to SotaVision, Imperia Tselitelya confirmed a member went to her house. The group said, "We missed Sasha, decided to stop by, eat [something], but [the house] was empty." The group then doxxed her, publishing her address online.

In March, the Russian Ministry of the Interior included Kazantseva on a list of wanted persons. The authorities did not specify why she is wanted.

You Might Also Like

Russia's War on Books
  • May 22, 2025

Russia's War on Books

Police in arrested 10 current and former employees of Russia's largest publishing house on charges of "LGBT propaganda."
Clownworld Comes to Russia
  • May 18, 2025

Clownworld Comes to Russia

A court in Novgorod fined a man for LGBT-linked extremist propaganda for using an absurdist meme.
Women's Rights in Wartime
  • March 04, 2025

Women's Rights in Wartime

Women's rights activists face increased pressure and reduced domestic violence resources in Russia.
Making a List
  • January 27, 2025

Making a List

The Ministry of Internal Affairs may be creating a database of LGBT persons to make future prosecutions easier.
Stop the Parties!
  • December 02, 2024

Stop the Parties!

Moscow police raided three nightclubs to "fight LGBT propaganda."
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

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.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

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.

 
A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

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.

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
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955