Marina Ovsyannikova is a Russian journalist and News anchor who works as an anchor for the state-run Russian television channel, Channel 1. She is famously known for protesting the Russian Ukrainian War on LIVE television as she was LIVE on air.
| Name | Marina Ovsyannikova |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Gender | Female |
| Profession/Occupation | Journalist, News Anchor |
What Did Marina Ovsyannikova Do?
On Monday evening, an astonishing act of protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine occurred when Marina Ovsyannikova burst onto the live broadcast of Russia’s most-watched news show, crying “Stop the war!” and holding up a banner that said “They’re lying to you here.”
According to a Russian rights group that is assisting her legal case, the woman, Marina Ovsyannikova, worked for Channel 1, the state-run television channel whose news broadcast she crashed. Ms. Ovsyannikova claims she is “very humiliated” to have worked on “Kremlin propaganda” in a video published by the group.
“Vremya,” a news program, is one of the Kremlin’s most popular propaganda outlets, with millions of Russians tuning in every evening. Even after President Vladimir V. Putin stifled opposition to the war and enacted a law punishing anyone spreading what the government deems “false news” about its Ukraine invasion with up to 15 years in prison, the off-script intervention highlighted how dissent is seeping into public consciousness in Russia.
Ms. Ovsyannikova went onto the stage on Monday evening as the host was outlining Russian negotiations with Belarus about how to mitigate the impact of Western sanctions, according to internet videos. She held up a sign with a Ukrainian and Russian flags that read “No War” and “Russians Against War” in English. “Stop the war,” it said in Russian. Do not be fooled by the propaganda. They’re deceiving you here.”
Even as Ms. Ovsyannikova protested behind her, experienced anchor Yekaterina Andreyeva, who has hosted the “Vremya” newscast for more than two decades, proceeded to read her script. The broadcast abruptly cut away from the stage after only a few seconds. Following that, Channel 1 stated it was “investigating an event with an outsider in the frame during a live broadcast,” according to the Tass state news agency.
According to OVD-Info, an activist organisation that assists Russians jailed for protesting, Ms. Ovsyannikova was detained after the rally and was being held in a small police station at Moscow’s Ostankino broadcasting center. More information about her condition was unavailable at the time of publication.
Despite the Kremlin’s recent efforts to restrict dissent on the internet, the event went viral in Russia. Ms. Ovsyannikova’s Facebook page had over 26,000 comments within hours, with many individuals applauding or praising her for her bravery in Russian, English, and Ukrainian.
Her demonstration came after Mr. Putin signed a measure earlier this month effectively criminalizing any public dissent to the war or independent news reporting on it. The rule might make it illegal to merely refer to the conflict as a “war” on social media or in a news story or broadcast – the Kremlin calls it a “special military operation.” The independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta cropped down Ms. Ovsyannikova’s antiwar placard in a photo of the protest it uploaded on Twitter, highlighting journalists’ fears about the law.
1 Comment
I believe she is a real courageous woman, a woman who fights for the freedom of her people. I hope you can be an example so that peace will return as soon as possible. I pray for you Marina, be strong.