“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 listed a wide range of ills in Russia, including an alleged slow response to floods in Dagestan, claims the government brutally mismanaged recent livestock culls in Siberia, and intensifying restrictions on online social networks.
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.
The Grievances – Internet Restrictions, Floods, and Culls
Bonya’s video touched on multiple issues that have been building for months:
| Grievance | Details |
|---|---|
| Internet restrictions | Mobile outages, Telegram throttling, VPN crackdowns |
| Dagestan floods | Alleged slow government response |
| Siberia livestock culls | Claim of brutal mismanagement |
| Loss of communication | Restrictions preventing contact with loved ones |
“There’s a feeling that we’re no longer living in a free country,” she said.
Other Influencers Speak Out – ‘I Can’t Stand What They Are Doing to Us’
Bonya is not alone. Other popular Russian lifestyle influencers have also spoken out.
Aiza
Another popular Russian lifestyle and beauty influencer, who goes by Aiza and also lives abroad, took to Instagram to support Bonya, claiming the latest restrictions on Telegram would be a “huge hit to the Russian economy.” She also cited 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.
Liza Moka
On March 26, Liza Moka , a lifestyle and parenting writer and blogger in Russia, posted a tearful video message to her 900,000 Instagram followers.
“I can’t go on like this. I can’t stand what they are doing to us, these tyrants, divorced from reality.”
She said that she lives in the remote countryside and the only way for her to work, or for her children to get an education, is online. That video garnered 2 million views.
Artyom (19-year-old user)
“I hope I don’t get put in jail for this video,” said a 19-year-old Instagram user named Artyom in early March. “Where is freedom? I don’t understand people who still call themselves free. There are fewer and fewer opportunities.”
His video racked up more than 600,000 views.
The Internet Crackdown – What Has Changed?
Internet restrictions in Russia have escalated since early spring, taking the country’s already tightly controlled information space into uncharted territory.
| Restriction | Impact |
|---|---|
| Rolling mobile internet outages | Affected Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other cities |
| Telegram throttling | Messaging platform slowed or blocked |
| VPN crackdowns | Widely used to circumvent restrictions |
| Instagram blocked (2022) | Still accessed via VPNs |
| Advertising restrictions | Russian residents banned from advertising on blocked sites (September law) |
Public officials have claimed the mobile internet blackouts are part of a security effort to counter “increasingly sophisticated methods” of Ukrainian attack, with the Kremlin promising that “as soon as this measure is no longer deemed necessary, internet service will be fully restored to normal.”
The Kremlin’s Response – An Unusual Move
On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the unusual move of commenting directly on Bonya’s video:
“It touches on many topics, and work is being done on them separately… none of this is being ignored.”
During its daily press briefing on Friday, the Kremlin rejected the claim that Putin was being kept in the dark about the true scale of the country’s problems.
“Putin is the head of state. His authority covers the broadest range of issues on the agenda,” Peskov told CNN, dodging a direct question about whether he believes Russian people are scared of their president.
Bonya thanked Peskov in a video Thursday, attempting to disassociate herself from coverage by non-Kremlin-approved outlets. “I don’t know what will happen to me,” she continued, “I just want to say it was worth it.”
Shifting Public Mood – War Fatigue and Falling Approval
Several recent polls show sagging support for Putin , who has instituted internet crackdowns as he continues his yearslong push against Ukraine amid increased economic hardship.
| Expert | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Tatiana Stanovaya (R.Politik) | “It seems that something is shifting… something more resembling a pivotal moment.” |
| Ekaterina Schulmann (Carnegie) | “We have witnessed a formation of a stable and growing majority of people who would rather see the war stopped.” |
| Andrei Soldatov (investigative journalist) | “The feeling of war fatigue is palpable even among patriots. The hopes they had for Trump are gone.” |
According to Russia’s state-owned polling firm VCIOM , Putin’s approval rating has slipped more than seven points so far this year.
Bloggers Under Increasing Pressure
Bloggers in Russia have been under growing pressure. In mid-March, pro-Putin blogger Ilya Remeslo posted a manifesto on his Telegram page labeling the war in Ukraine a “dead-end” and calling for Putin to be put on trial. A day later, it was reported he had been taken to a psychiatric hospital in St. Petersburg.
Bonya also mentioned her concern over the case of Valeria Chekalina (known as Lerchek), whose ex-husband was sentenced to seven years in prison for illegal money transfers. Chekalina herself had her house arrest suspended so she could attend treatment for stage 4 cancer.
What Experts Expect Next
Experts say there may be more repressive measures to come.
“I would say that perhaps we will see rather soon a new wave of restrictions, repressions, maybe institutional changes, personnel reshuffles,” said Tatiana Stanovaya.
The question now for overall regime stability, argued Schulmann, is whether Russians interpret the current situation of internet crackdowns, gradually increasing economic hardship, and unending war as the status quo or a temporary and abnormal situation.
“The president is the status quo,” she told CNN. “If you like it, then you approve of him. If you start disliking the status quo, then you start disliking him as well.”
A Rare Crack in the Facade
High-profile Russian lifestyle influencers – typically focused on make-up tips, parenting advice, and lifestyle content – have done something rare: they have lashed out directly at Putin and his policies.
The trigger was internet restrictions that have disrupted daily life, from communication with loved ones to work and children’s education. But the underlying causes run deeper: war fatigue, economic hardship, and dashed hopes that a new US administration would end the conflict on Russia’s terms.
The Kremlin has taken the unusual step of responding, acknowledging the complaints while rejecting the idea that Putin is out of touch. But experts see signs of a pivotal moment – one that could lead to more repression, or to a further erosion of support for the status quo.
As Bonya said, tears streaking her face: “I don’t know what will happen to me. I just want to say it was worth it.”
For now, the influencers have spoken. Whether the Kremlin listens – or cracks down harder – remains to be seen.
