Aiza, a TV host and blogger who was previously married to the Russian rapper Guf, has deleted an Instagram post in which she spoke out about problems in Russia. A link to the video address she published on April 14 now leads to a page reading “Sorry, this page isn’t available.”
Aiza had not commented on the deletion at the time of publication. Over the past three days, her Instagram has featured content typical for her: posts about family and life in Bali.
In the now-deleted video, Aiza expressed support for an address by Victoria Bonya that had generated widespread attention. Speaking to Russia’s president, Bonya raised problems in Russia “that not a single governor would mention” and called on Vladimir Putin to establish a direct channel of communication with the public in order to “see what the people are thinking.”
“Victoria Bonya said very correct things. That a lot of information probably doesn’t reach the top, doesn’t reach Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Though I think that’s completely wrong, because the connection between the president and the people should be very strong,” Aiza said.
In her address, Aiza focused particular attention on corruption in Russia. “Think about the people who are suffering right now without homes, without food — already on the edge. How much can you steal, how much do you need to steal to have enough? I sincerely hope that our president genuinely doesn’t know,” she said.
Bonya’s address received more than 1 million likes on Instagram within two days. Aiza’s received more than 70,000 likes on its first day.
On April 16, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on Bonya’s address, saying it touched on “sensitive issues” that were receiving significant attention and work. Later that day, Meduza learned that Russia’s Presidential Administration had “strongly urged” loyalist media outlets not to “amplify the story of Bonya’s address.”
On April 17, Peskov told reporters that the Kremlin disagreed with the view held by some bloggers that Putin was not being kept informed about what was happening in the country. “Putin is the head of state, and his powers by definition encompass the widest possible range of issues on the agenda,” Peskov said, as quoted by the Russian media outlet Vy Slushal. He added that he saw no need to discuss the matter further.
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