Russia beauty influencer and cosmetics merchandiser Viktoriya Bonya called out Kremlin news managers angry with her recent criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying in content published on Sunday and Monday she is defending Russian women against insults by male Moscow propagandists.
“I have received thousands of messages that I should respond to the charges made by (Vladimir) Solvyev, who on a Federal channel of the Russian Federation (commented critically on her),” Bonya said. “I would just like to ask the question to women of Russia. When did it happen that it became possible to cross that line, that even on a Federal (Russian television news) channel, our women may be insulted?”
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Russia’s highest-profile propagandist and long-time ally of President Vladimir Putin, Solovyev on Saturday on the nationally-televised Vecher news program hurled invective and profanity at Bonya for a Tuesday video in which she criticized Putin and Russia’s national leadership in general for running the country badly and oppressing society, particularly Russian women.
The rare public negative comment calling out, even more rarely, the Russian leader by name, went viral on Russian-language social media platforms, according to Bonya collecting more than 20 million views on Telegram, a messaging app Russian authorities want shut down.Solovyev tore into Bonya, calling her a “worn-out slut” (Russian: потрёпанная шалява) who “with a filthy mouth sh*ts all around her.”
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Solovyev went on to accuse Bonya of possibly evading tax obligation, living in Monaco illegally and cooperating with NATO nation spy services in an information manipulation operation intended to damage Russia’s reputation. Russia’s Ministry of Justice and military prosecutor should investigate Bonya’s loyalty to Russia and probably charge her with treason, Solovyev said.
Russian politician Viltaly Milonov in a Saturday evening RT-1 television interview piled on to the Kremlin narrative of Bonya’s alleged improper behavior and overseas location:
“I was truthfully absolutely positive that [Viktoriya] Bonya, this is some kind of Dubai paid escort woman. But it turns out she’s in Dubai. She lives in Monaco. She wiggles somehow unintelligibly with her pumped-up lips…
“I thought ‘Bonya’ was some kind of term for women who escort foreign tourists, like from Dubai… in the past they did it with camels. But now [wealthy Dubai men] have seen white girls, and now they [Arab men] are hanging out with them [Russian women],” Milonov said in part.
Bonya, in a nine-minute Sunday return salvo, denied all wrong doing, said her business is legal and legitimate, that she is registered properly with Monaco’s immigration services, and “I haven’t lied nor have I accepted any bribes.”
“This is what they are doing, they are calling Russian women prostitutes time after time. Paid escorts. And so on,” Bonya said. “Mr. Solovyev, I will not descend to your level. I will not speak about your child. I am a Mother. I could say something. But I won’t.
“You ask what status I have in Monaco. That is the status of a single Mother who is raising a child. I don’t know what bothers you about that.
“I am an older woman, I am 46. And you, Solovyev are talking about all the women in Russia, and are saying they have no right to speak… I think in this context you look like an enemy of the people.”
In other Sunday content, Bonya posted an AI image of herself, in a Superwoman costume, sitting on top of a skyscraper overlooking a Russian city.
“The stone has been lifted from my soul. Now it is time to think about the splendid things that surround us. I propose we create a female society, where we will be with each other as a community, and we all together will create beauty on this planet. We women, we can see the beauty in life. We are the soft power. We are the warriors of LIGHT!,” the Bonya-Superwoman caption said.
Russian influencer Ksenya Sobchak, a public figure sometimes pro-government and sometimes gently critical of the Putin regime, in Sunday comment posted to 10 million+ followers came out in support of Bonya, saying “The mania of persecution and the desire for even more hype is now spoiling everything…but [Bonya’s] comment itself, is really good. It’s the Bell of the Revolution…so don’t give up!”
Bonya on Monday thanked Sobchak for “female solidarity.” Sobchak is one of Russia’s best-known business personalities for her long-time support by Putin and for bringing the Big Brother television show format to Russia.
“I am glad that Ksenya supported my initiative to punish people on Federal [news] channels that insult women,” Bonya said. “And that by the way has been something that happened to Sobchak more than once. I mean that [Vladimir] Solovyev was saying nasty, unpleasant, awful things about her. I believe that Ksenya has, well, a giant following. And I believe that we should ally with each other in this… I am always for [communications] which are without insults and that are humane.”
In public, Bonya positions herself as a middle-aged Russian woman (46) interested in cosmetics, style, glamour and beauty, and as the owner-director of a company using the network marketing business model to sell beauty products in Russia.
In a Sunday message thread with prospective downstream retailer named Polina Ustinova, Bonya said:
“Cosmetics is one of the most profitable businesses in the world. As a result of the large margins the total gross turnover of cosmetics in Russia in 2024 grew to 1.11 trillion rubles. I am now scaling up at a maximum pace and have decided to attract investors. I answer your question as to why: (1) To grow income faster and to scale up every quarter. (2) So that my followers and I might earn percentages.”
In the sales pitch to Ustinova, Bonya said:
“Regarding the quality and guarantee of our work you need not worry, all work is done without risk for you or your investment. Our team includes the best specialists in the industry.
“My reputation is very valuable to me. There are no negative reviews about me. Everything is always honest and accessible. I give you a 100% guarantee, that if something doesn’t work out, I will return you your money. You are risking absolutely nothing!”
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