Putin’s black list,

Until recently the well-known TV host, society lioness Ksenia Sobchak has had everything: fame and good relations with Vladimir Putin. Owing to scandals, bold statements, and regularly changing objects of flirting, 31-year-old Sobchak used to be on the front pages of the yellow press, like her American prototype Paris Hilton. For over five years Sobchak has hosted the annual pop music competition New Wave in Yurmala, broadcast live by Rossiya Channel. She used to be a regular host of the MuzTV channel awarding ceremonies and the show Blondie in Chocolate, she has also been a co-host of the Two Stars TV show on the First Channel. She had her own show on MTV. She used to be invited to various society events.

Now all this is history. She is no more allowed to Russian TV channels. The MuzTV Company has recently covered entire Moscow with huge billboards depicting four hosts of the awarding ceremony of its main prize: Maksim Galkin, Andrey Malakhov, Lera Kudriavtseva, and Ksenia Sobchak.

However, a week prior to this concert in Olimpiisky, which was supposed to be broadcast live, Sobchak, as an unreliable person has been suspended from hosting the concert. Malakhov, too, refused to host it as a sign of solidarity. And Olha Shelest refused to replace Sobchak. This is a truly good example of solidarity. Besides, Sobchak has been suspended from the TEFI awarding ceremony, where she was supposed to be one of the hosts.

All this is a pay for taking part in December protests for honest elections, when she took the opposition’s side. The fact that ex-mayor of St. Petersburg Anatolii Sobchak, Putin’s mentor, was her father did not help her. “It can mean the end of her career. Putin has never been indulgent,” Financial Times Deutschland writes in the article entitled “Ksenia Sobchak: Putin’s Fallen Angel.” At the same time the publication notes that the Kremlin considers her political commitment and statements about the need for changes in Russia as treachery, thus putting such people on a black list.

Ksenia connects the refusals with her participation in the protest actions. Nonetheless she is not going to change her standpoint. “The society is being deliberately shown that nobody is going to follow the society’s opinion: the order to Churov and Kulistikov, the sequel of exciting ‘exposures’ on the First TV Channel and NTV – they all are only increasing the tension. Frankly speaking, I feel terrified because this is leading to a civil war which will be no better than what we have today. Subsequently, we can either slowly, but definitely go downwards and join Belarus, and this is also making our lives totally unbearable, or to the civil war, which is no good variant either. The farther we go the more apparent it becomes that there won’t be any relaxation and continuation of democratic processes,” she said in an interview to Slon.

At the same time she thinks that one ought to apply all possible legal methods. “I don’t think that what has been taking place in the streets could be called ‘unsanctioned street actions.’ People gather, express their opinion, where is violation of law?” Sobchak underlined.

We want to believe that in Russia more and more people will appear who think in the similarly sober way, like the TV host, and considering that the country needs to be changed.