Olga Vladimirovna Skabeyeva[a] (Russian: Ольга Владимировна Скабеева; born 11 December 1984) is a Russian television presenter, political commentator,[1] and propagandist.[2] Skabeyeva received the nickname "Iron Doll of Putin TV" due to her criticism of the Russian opposition.[3][4]
Olga Skabeyeva | |
|---|---|
Ольга Скабеева | |
.jpg) | |
| Born | 11 December 1984 |
| Other names | Iron Doll of Putin TV |
| Occupation(s) | Television presenter, political pundit, propagandist |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Spouse | |
Early life and education
editSkabeyeva was born in 1984 in Volzhsky, in the Volgograd Oblast of the Soviet Union.[5] At first, she studied at a private Russian-American school, from which she graduated with honors.[6][7]
In the tenth grade, she decided to become a journalist.[4] She studied at the Faculty of Journalism at Saint Petersburg State University, where she graduated from with honors in 2008.[8][9] Her journalistic career began at a local newspaper.[4][5]
Career
editSkabeyeva rose to prominence in 2012–2013 with her coverage of the Pussy Riot trial, the concurrent surge in anti-government rallies and subsequent criminal investigations into the activities of Russian opposition supporters. Her critical reports of the Russian opposition prompted TV critic Irina Petrovskaya to describe her as a member of Russian state TV's "special operation forces", and her tone as "prosecutorial and accusatory".[3]
Since 2015–2016, Skabeyeva has hosted the author's program Vesti.doc on the Russia-1 state TV channel.[4] Since 12 September 2016, together with husband Yevgeny Popov, she has hosted the 60 Minut (60 minutes), a social and political talk show on Russia-1, billed as a discussion program on high-profile topics.[10][11]
In 2018, Skabeyeva was involved in an attempt to discredit the British investigation into the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal.[12][13] Her television program said the Skripal poisoning case was 'an elaborate British plot to smear Russia'.
According to an Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) investigation published 29 July 2021, Skabeyeva and her husband own real estate in Moscow with a total value of over 300 million rubles (US$4 million).[14][15] A 2020 investigation by The Insider website found that Skabeyeva officially earns 12.8 million rubles a year, and her husband 12.9 million.[16][17] Their only reported sources of income are the state-owned media holding VGTRK and its subsidiary TV channel Russia-1.[16][18]
Skabeyeva is a two-time winner of the Russian television TEFI Award, receiving the distinction in 2017 and 2018.[19]
She called the Russian invasion of Ukraine an effort "to protect the people of Donbas from a Nazi regime" and said it was "without exaggeration, a crucial junction in history".[20] On 15 April 2022, she reacted to the sinking of the Russian cruiser Moskva by the Ukrainian forces, saying: "One can safely call that it has escalated into World War III."[21]
In September 2023, she said that Russia should have nuked Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in London.[22] In June 2023, she suggested that Russia would need about "two or three million" Chinese soldiers to win the war in Ukraine.[23]
Skabeyeva criticized Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, saying that "Only the Americans can stop this bloodbath but they are doing exactly the opposite."[24]
Sanctions
editOn 24 February 2023, the United States Department of State imposed financial sanctions on Skabeyeva and her husband Yevgeny Popov (journalist). In a press release, the State Department described them as "hosts of a Russian talk show where they predominately disseminate pro-Russia propaganda for the war against Ukraine."[25] Four days later the European Union sanctioned Skabeyeva, who was also sanctioned by the UK government on 15 March 2022 in relation to the Russo-Ukrainian War.[26]
Family
editSkabeyeva is married to Duma member Yevgeny Popov, who is also a co-host of her TV production.[27]
Notes
edit- ^ Alternative spelling: Skabeeva
References
edit- ^ "Russian State Journalists Claim German ARD Reporter Attacked Them". The Moscow Times. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ * Mark, Michelle (April 2022). "Meet the star Russian propagandist known as the 'iron doll of Putin TV,' whose escalating rhetoric has shocked the West". The Insider.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)- "Rosyjska propagandystka obraża premiera Morawieckiego: "Arogancki idiota"". Rzeczpospolita (in Polish). 14 May 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- Andrew Feinberg (6 July 2022). "Russian state TV host muses whether Putin should 'reinstall Trump'". The Independent. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ""Спецоперация" на Украине закончилась: Скабеева отметилась новым скандальным заявлением". Channel 9 (in Russian). 31 May 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- "Скабеева заявила о завершении "спецоперации" России в Украине и начале Третьей мировой войны". Delfi (in Russian). 31 May 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- Michael Schwirtz (21 September 2022). "Russia-Ukraine War. Over 1,000 Russian Protesters Arrested After Putin Mobilizes More Troops". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ a b "BBC Monitoring – Essential Media Insight". BBC Monitoring. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d Somina, Nina (15 January 2013). ""Железная кукла путинского ТВ" стала мемом Рунета" ["Iron Doll of Putin's TV" became a Runet meme]. lenizdat.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ a b Ведущая нового ток-шоу на канале «Россия-1» начинала в газете Волжского
- ^ ПОПОВ И СКАБЕЕВА об Украине, Зеленском, передаче "60 минут", травле на Навальный LIFE и новой этике, retrieved 13 July 2022
- ^ "Скабеева Ольга Владимировна". www.mibs-vlz.ru. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- ^ Журнал Санкт-Петербургский университет Archived 30 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine ISSN 1681-1941 / No. 10 (3777), 27 июня 2008 года
- ^ Институт «Высшая школа журналистики и массовых коммуникаций» СПбГУ. Вручение дипломов 2008
- ^ Irina, Petrovskaya (27 October 2012). "Человек из телевизора" [TV human]. Echo of Moscow (in Russian). Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ «Темная лошадка» с жестким голосом: личная жизнь и любимый мужчина телеведущей Ольги Скабеевой
- ^ Russian spy poisoning: Yulia Skripal 'getting stronger daily'. BBC. 5 April 2018
- ^ Chris York. Poisoned Yulia Skripal Issues Statement Saying 'My Strength Is Growing Daily'. Huffington Post 5 April 2018
- ^ "Russian State TV Host Couple Owns $4 Million in Moscow Real Estate, Navalny's Allies Claim". The Moscow Times. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ Melnikova, Anastasia (29 July 2021). "Команда Навального: у пропагандистов Скабеевой и Попова есть недвижимость на ₽300 млн" [Navalny's team: propagandists Skabeyeva and Popov have real estate worth ₽300 million]. znak.com (in Russian). Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ a b Kropman, Vitaly (29 July 2021). "ФБК нашел у телеведущих Скабеевой и Попова недвижимость на 300 млн рублей" [FBK found real estate worth 300 million rubles from TV presenters Skabeyeva and Popov]. Deutsche Welle (in Russian). Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ Ezhov, Sergey (23 September 2020). "13 друзей Путина. Сколько зарабатывают самые известные пропагандисты российского ТВ" [13 friends of Putin. How much do the most famous propagandists of Russian TV earn?]. The Insider (in Russian). Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ "Сторонники Навального: телеведущая Скабеева и кандидат в депутаты Госдумы Попов владеют недвижимостью за 300 млн рублей" [Navalny's supporters: TV presenter Skabeyeva and State Duma candidate Popov own real estate for 300 million rubles]. Novaya Gazeta (in Russian). 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ Petrovskaya, Irina (4 October 2018). "Ангелы-телехранители" [Guardian Angels]. Novaya Gazeta (in Russian). Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ "Hundreds arrested as Russians protest invasion of Ukraine". PBS News. 24 February 2022.
- ^ "TV host's bleak rant after Russian warship sunk: 'World War III'". Yahoo.com. 16 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- ^ "Vladimir Putin's 'Iron Doll' says Russia should have nuked Queen Elizabeth II's funeral". The Independent. 21 September 2022.
- ^ "Vladimir Putin 'needs' 2- 3 million Chinese soldiers to fight in Ukraine?". The Hindustan Times. 12 June 2023.
- ^ Smirnov, Oleg (25 October 2023). "Russian Propaganda Seizes on West's 'Double Standards' as Israeli Strikes Pound Gaza". The Moscow Times.
- ^ "The United States Takes Sweeping Actions on the One Year Anniversary of Russia's War Against Ukraine". United States Department of State. 24 February 2023. Archived from the original on 26 February 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
- ^ "CONSOLIDATED LIST OF FINANCIAL SANCTIONS TARGETS IN THE UK" (PDF). Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ^ "Russian general floats deadline for end of Putin's war". 20 June 2024.
External links
edit
- Olga Skabeyeva at the Zvezda television channel
- Russia: Trump's chaos means 'we will finally defeat America'
