The fashion influencer speaking truth to Putin
Unlock unlimited access to all our award-winning journalism, subscriber-only podcasts and newsletters Subscribe to The Economist Unlock unlimited access to all our award-winning journalism, subscriber-only podcasts and newsletters Your browser does not support the <audio> element. S he is not an opposition politician, activist or journalist. Victoria Bonya is a Russian former television presenter turned influencer living near Monaco. She promotes fitness routines and her brand of vegan cosmetics and clothing to 13m subscribers on Instagram, most of them in Russia. But on April 13th she caused an explosion in Russian politics with an 18-minute video appealing to Vladimir Putin to heed popular complaints. “Vladimir Vladimirovich, the people are afraid of you,” Ms Bonya said. “I am not afraid.” Ms Bonya listed a series of grievances—the inadequate response to deadly floods in Dagestan in early April, repeated oil spills in the Black Sea and cattle culls depriving Siberian villages of thei
Explore this link on the map →