Danylo Grachev, 31, formerly a popular Ukrainian TV host, has brought criticism upon himself after he was hired by Russian TV channel NTV. He announced his new employment on his social media pages on March 29.
NTV has been a prominent participant of the Russia’s propaganda war against Ukraine, which is why the decision of Grachev to join the broadcaster was condemned by many in Ukraine, including his colleagues in Ukrainian media.
At the same time, Russian audience had its own reasons to dislike the new NTV host. His old anti-Russian tweets were brought up and circulated on Russian websites. In one of the tweets in March 2014 Grachev reposted photos of Ukrainians giving middle finger to Russian President Vladimir Putin talking on TV about annexation of Crimea.
Caught between two fires, Grachev tried to justify himself in the eyes of both parties.
“I made those retweets more than a year ago,” he said in an interview posted to NTV website. “The situation was different back then. I guess I was feeling offended back then.”
He gave a broader explanation on his page in Russian-owned Vkontakte social network. There, he said he was “just a common boy from Donetsk” who wanted peace and never was into politics.
Grachev comes from Donetsk, the eastern Ukrainian city occupied by Russia-backed separatists.
“I’m an example of how Ukrainians and Russians can work together,” he said in Vkontakte. “I’m an example of how the people who are not into politics can do more for j
In Ukraine, Grachev worked at TET TV station, hosting mainly the fashion-themed shows, including “The Goddess of Shopping” and “Fashion for People.” He has also been giving master classes on style and contributing to the Kyiv websites with fashion tips.
On NTV he hosts a morning show “Coffee With Milk” together with three other hosts. The show premiered on March 30. According to Grachv, it is purely entertaining and has nothing to do with politics.
NTV is responsible for some of the brightest fake news about Ukraine, including a TV story about how Ukrainian government was going to legalize prostitution in order to help population through the economic crisis.
The trailer of the “Coffee With Milk,” the morning show on NTV co-hosted by Ukrainian Danylo Grachev.
“The Goddess of Shopping” show on Ukrainian TET TV station was hosted by Danylo Grachev in 2013.
