Ukrainian showman Anton Lirnyk announced as foreign agent in Russia despite affinity to Putin

The Russian Ministry of Justice has added Ukrainian showman Anton Lirnyk, a traitor, to the register of "foreign agents." Along with him, the list now includes blogger Rustem Adagamov, journalists Ilya Azar and Zhanna Agalakova, and columnist Elizaveta Alexandrova-Zorina. The reason for this decision was their critical statements on Ukraine war, dissemination of content favorable to foreign countries, and the discredit of the Russian army.

This was reported by propaganda media. This is another example of Russia's repressive measures aimed at suppressing dissent. However, in the case of Lirnyk, the situation has a special context, as he himself had previously appealed to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to help the residents of Volnovakha who suffered from the fighting. In his message, the artist stated that the Ukrainian side was allegedly ready to provide a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of civilians and asked the Russian side to facilitate this process.

His words caused a flurry of criticism in Ukraine. Many Ukrainians condemned the artist for publicly addressing Putin. They accused him of collaborating with the enemy and called for a boycott of him.

After this incident, the artist virtually disappeared from the Ukrainian media space, and his further career developed mainly in Russia. Now, the situation has changed - the Russian authorities have officially declared him a "foreign agent," which will make it much more difficult for him to stay and work in Russia.

What does "foreign agent" status mean in Russia?

Being listed as a "foreign agent" in Russia means significant legal and financial restrictions. People and organizations with this status are forced to submit reports on their income and expenses, mark all their publications with specific text, and lose access to most financial assets in the country.

In addition, according to the new legislative initiatives, "foreign agents" will not be able to use money received from the lease or sale of real estate, bank deposits and other sources of income. All funds will be frozen, and access to the special accounts will be possible only after the "foreign agent" status is canceled.

The showman's reaction

Despite all the restrictions, Anton Lirnyk himself is not worried. On social media, he reacted to the news ironically, hinting that the reason for this decision could be his latest creative expression - a one-man show about an IT specialist from Cherepovets based on Leonid Filatov's The Tale of Fedot the Strelets.

"Looks like someone in Russia has checked out my performance. I am glad that it caused such a reaction. If you haven't seen it, I advise you to watch it," the actor wrote on social media.

In particular, Lirnyk posted a photo of his Ukrainian passport, emphasizing that he is still a citizen of Ukraine and this is his main reason for being a "foreign agent."

"To the Russian idiots: My passport is what makes me a 'foreign agent' in the first place. But thank you for recognizing my work," the traitor wrote.

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