A Russian TV presenter and influencer who sparked outrage for hosting an "almost naked" party in Moscow has been fined, the BBC reported. Anastasia Ivleeva organised the party at Mutabor, a popular nightclub in the Russian capital. The event did not go down well with the public or authorities, with some officials saying that it was against the country's conservative values. Now, even though Ms Ivleeva apologised twice for the party, a court in Moscow imposed a 100,000 rouble ($1,100) fine on her for arranging it.
According to the BBC, the Russian influencer was convicted on Friday of organising a mass presence that violated public order. She was handed the fine by the Lefortovo court in Moscow.
This came after she released two videos apologising for the party, one in which she tearfully pleaded for a "second chance". "I would like to ask you, the people, for a second chance," she said in an Instagram video. She also promised to donate the proceeds of ticket sales to charities.
However, Friday's fine and Ms Ivleeva's apology may not be the end of her public humiliation. The outlet reported that another court in Russia has registered a billion-rouble class action lawsuit against the influencer and TV presenter for "moral damage". The lawsuit has been signed by 22 people who want her to hand the billion to a group that donates money to Russians fighting in Ukraine.
Notably, the "almost naked" party was held on December 20. Footage from the event showed a number of well-known Russian personalities, including pop stars Filipp Kirkorov, Lolita and Dima Bilan, as well as TV host and 2018 presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak, dressed in underwear and lingerie. Rapper Vacio, real name Nikolai Vasilyev, was also seen with only a sock covering his modesty. He has since been jailed for 15 days and fined 200,000 roubles, Sky News reported.
According to the critics of the event, the party was against the country's conservative values. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) Russian politician Maria Butina said that she has asked Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs if the party complied with Russia's prohibition of LGBTQ+ "propaganda", or violated the order outlining "traditional Russian spiritual and moral values".
Yekaterina Mizulina, the head of the pressure group Free Internet League, called for a boycott of the attendees. "Such hangouts are a shot in the foot of the entire policy pursued by the state. The partygoers live in a different world than the rest of the country," she wrote on Telegram, adding that "these people should be boycotted at the state level".
