Dmitry Kiselyov
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Dmitry Konstantinovich Kiselyov ( rus, Дмитрий Константинович Киселёв; born April 26, 1954), is a Russian propagandist. In 2013, Kiselyov was appointed by Russian President
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
to head ''
Rossiya Segodnya MIA Rossiya Segodnya (; ) is a media group owned and operated by the Russian government, created on the basis of RIA Novosti. The group owns and operates Sputnik, RIA Novosti, inoSMI and several other entities. The head of the organisation is ...
'', a Russian state-controlled media group. He also serves as deputy director of the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. His comments have been controversial both in Russia and in the West, especially regarding homosexuality and the
Euromaidan Euromaidan (; uk, Євромайдан, translit=Yevromaidan, lit=Euro Square, ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of Political demonstration, demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protes ...
, the
Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation In February and March 2014, Russia invaded and subsequently annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. This event took place in the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity and is part of the wider Russo-Ukrainian War. The events in Kyiv th ...
in 2014 and his allegation of the US standing on "the side of the terrorist caliphate"
ISIS Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...
, destroying Syria and bringing down
Metrojet Flight 9268 Metrojet Flight 9268 was an international chartered passenger flight, operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia (branded as Metrojet). On 31 October 2015, at 06:13 local time EST (04:13 UTC), an Airbus A321-231 operating the flight exploded a ...
. Kiselyov has been on the list of personal sanctions imposed by the EU since 2014.


Early life

Kiselyov was born in Moscow on April 26, 1954. He was brought up in a musical environment, being the nephew of Soviet composer
Yuri Shaporin Yuri Alexandrovich Shaporin (russian: Юрий (Георгий) Александрович Шапорин) ( – 9 December 1966), PAU, was a Russian-Ukrainian Soviet composer. Biography Shaporin was born in Hlukhiv in the Russian Empire ...
, and graduated from School of Music in classical guitar. Kiselyov's maternal grandfather named Nesmachno came from
Western Ukraine Western Ukraine or West Ukraine ( uk, Західна Україна, Zakhidna Ukraina or , ) is the territory of Ukraine linked to the former Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, which was part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Austria ...
, was a lieutenant colonel in the tsarist army and chief of engineering services of General
Aleksei Brusilov Aleksei Alekseyevich Brusilov ( rus, Алексе́й Алексе́евич Бруси́лов, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsʲej ɐlʲɪkˈsʲejɪvʲɪdʑ brʊˈsʲiɫəf; – 17 March 1926) was a Russian and later Soviet general most noted for the developme ...
. His father was a peasant from
Tambov Tambov (, ; rus, Тамбов, p=tɐmˈbof) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Tambov Oblast, Central Federal District, central Russia, at the confluence of the Tsna River (Moksha basin), Tsna and ...
, who served in the
cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
in
Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
in 1937. Kiselyov graduated from a school with in-depth study of the French language and studied at the Medical College Number 6 in Moscow. In 1978 he graduated from the Department of Scandinavian Philology of
philological Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as the ...
faculty of
Leningrad State University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBU; russian: Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the G ...
and claims to speak
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
,
Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...
and
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
.


Career


Work at the USSR State Radio and Television

After graduation, he worked in the Central Radio Broadcasting for foreign countries of the
USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
State Television and Radio Broadcasting in the Norwegian and Polish editions. On April 9, 1989, at the invitation of Eduard Sagalaev, he began working on the USSR Central Television, where he was a parliamentary correspondent for the "
Vremya ''Vremya'' (russian: Вре́мя, lit. "Time") is the main evening newscast in Russia, airing on Channel One Russia (Russian: , Pervy kanal) and previously on Programme One of the Central Television of the USSR (CT USSR, Russian: ). The program ...
" program. The very first reportage was from
Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the Capital city, capital and the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia, lying on the ...
, covering events near the government house. At one time he was a correspondent in
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
. From January 1990 to March 1991 Kiselyov served as the host of the information program "Television News Service", aired on the First Program of Central Television. Due to his refusal to read a prepared text about the events in Vilnius, he was removed from news programs, after which he collaborated for some time with the German TV channels ARD and RTL, as well as the Japanese television company
NHK , also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee. NHK operates two terrestri ...
.


Career from 1991 to early 2000s

In September 1991, after the
August Coup August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Its zodiac sign is Leo and was originally named ''Sextilis'' in Latin because it was the 6th month in ...
and the appointment of a new leadership of the Central Television, he returned to the Vremya program, and was also the host of the Panorama program. Until the end of 1996, he held various positions at the Ostankino State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (from 1995 to 2002 ORT, now Channel One). 1992–1994 Kiselyov worked as correspondent of RGTRK Ostankino for
Benelux The Benelux Union ( nl, Benelux Unie; french: Union Benelux; lb, Benelux-Unioun), also known as simply Benelux, is a politico-economic union and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of three neighboring states in western Europe: B ...
. In 1994–1996 he was the host of the "Window to Europe" program on the same TV channel, for the creation of which Kiselyov received a grant from the
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
aimed at supporting democratic institutions in Russia. In March 1995, after the murder of
Vladislav Listyev Vladislav (Vlad) Nikolayevich Listyev (russian: Владисла́в Никола́евич Листьев, links=no; May 10, 1956 – March 1, 1995) was a Russian journalist and head of the ORT TV Channel (now government-owned Channel One). Ca ...
, he was the host of one of the issues of the topical interview "Rush Hour" of the VID television company, which was aired on Channel One Ostankino. Since April 3, 1995 - the host of this program on the newly created ORT channel. Initially, he worked alternately with Sergei Shatunov, but after his departure, he led the program alone. From the beginning of October 1995, he hosted the program alternately with
Andrey Rasbash Andrey Leonidovich Rasbash (russian: Андре́й Леони́дович Разба́ш; December 15, 1952, Ust-Kara, Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Arkhangelsk Oblast — July 23, 2006, Moscow) was Soviet and Russian figure TV, cameraman and film d ...
. He finally left the program in September 1996. From 1997 to 2003 he hosted the
talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...
"National Interest", which aired first on
REN-TV REN TV (russian: РЕН ТВ) is a Russian free-to-air television network, was founded on 1 January 1997 by Irena Lesnevskaya and her son, Dmitry Lesnevsky, who had been running REN TV as a production house for other national Russian television ...
, then on the
RTR RTR may refer to: Media * Radiotelevisiun Svizra Rumantscha (previously Radio e Televisiun Rumantscha), a Swiss broadcasting company * ''Reformed Theological Review'', an Australian Protestant theological journal * Return to Ravnica, a ''Magic the ...
channel from September 1997 to January 1998. From February 1999 it was broadcast by
TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...
and from autumn 1999 to January 2002 as "National Interest-2000 (2001)" on TVC. Later, it would air on the Ukrainian channel ICTV. In December 1997, for the production of his own television programs, Kiselyov established the Perspective Television Projects company, which existed for several years. Since February 1999, at one time he was also the author and host of the "Window to Europe" column on the morning channel "Day by Day" ( TV-6). From 1999 to 2000 Kiselyov presented the evening program of the TV Centre TV company “Events”, heading “In the center of events”. From the beginning to the mid-2000s, he lived in and worked for both
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
and Russia. From 2000 to 2006 Kiselyov hosted the topical interview "In detail with Dmitry Kiselyov". From 2000 to 2004 he served as the editor-in-chief of the information service of the Ukrainian television company ICTV. He also hosted the program "Fakti" there. On November 26, 2004, the channel's journalists, at a meeting with ICTV CEO Alexander Bogutsky, expressed their distrust of Dmitry Kiselyov, saying that he distorted news broadcasts. Three days later, the general director announced the removal of Kiselyov from the management of the television company's news releases. Later, the ICTV channel officially denied this message. During the
presidential elections in Ukraine Ukrainian presidential elections determine who will serve as the President of Ukraine for the next five years. Since the establishment of the position of the President of Ukraine in 1991, the presidential elections have taken place seven times: i ...
in 2004, Dmitry Kiselyov took an active part in promoting on television the candidate from the
Party of Regions The Party of Regions ( uk, Партія регіонів, Partiia rehioniv, ; russian: Партия регионов, Partiya regionov) was a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine formed in late 1997 that then grew to be the biggest party of Uk ...
close to Moscow,
Viktor Yanukovych Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych ( uk, Віктор Федорович Янукович, ; ; born 9 July 1950) is a former politician who served as the fourth president of Ukraine from 2010 until he was removed from office in the Revolution of Di ...
, to whom, in turn, the owner of ICTV,
Victor Pinchuk Victor Mykhailovych Pinchuk ( uk, Віктор Михайлович Пінчук, ''Viktor Mykhailovych Pinchuk''; born 14 December 1960) is a Ukrainian businessman and oligarch. As of January 2016, ''Forbes'' ranked him as 1,250th on the list o ...
, was loyal. After
Viktor Yushchenko Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko ( uk, Віктор Андрійович Ющенко, ; born 23 February 1954) is a Ukrainian politician who was the third president of Ukraine from 23 January 2005 to 25 February 2010. As an informal leader of th ...
's election victory, Kiselyov continued to work on the TV channel until the expiration of his contract in March 2006. From September 24, 2000 to November 9, 2003 he was published on the website of the radio station "
Echo of Moscow Echo of Moscow (russian: links=no, Эхо Москвы, translit=Ekho Moskvy) was a 24/7 commercial Russian radio station based in Moscow. It broadcast in many Russian cities, some of the former Soviet republics (through partnerships with local ra ...
" in the section "Comment of the week". He conducted seminars and workshops at the Internews television school of Manana Aslamazyan. In 2003, while training on the
motocross Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom. History Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
track, Kiselyov received a serious injury. He broke two ligaments in his knee, underwent three operations and spent a year on crutches.


On the TV channel "Russia-1"

From 2003 to 2004, he worked on the programs "Morning Talk" and "Authority". From 2005 to 2008 Kiselyov hosted the daily information and analytical program "Vesti+" on "
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
". From 2005 to 2006 he conducted the topical interview "Vesti. Details". From 2006 to 2012, after his final return to Moscow, Kiselyov was the host of the social and political talk show "National Interest" on the channel "Russia", later renamed "Russia-1". On July 3 and 10, 2010, within the framework of this program, from the Moscow side held a teleconference "Ukraine — Russia" together with the host of the "
1+1 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...
" TV channel Natalia Moseichuk. In 2006–2008 Kiselyov hosted the evening edition of
Vesti Vesti may refer to: Media * Vesti (German newspaper), a Serbian-language newspaper in Germany * ''Vesti'' (Israeli newspaper), a Russian-language newspaper in Israel * Vesti (TV channel), the former name of the news channel Russia-24 * Vesti ...
, paired with Maria Sittel, while the length of the program was increased from 30 to 50 minutes. Since July 2008, he has been the Deputy General Director of the VGTRK holding; after the appointment, he left the Vesti program. On the
Vesti FM Vesti FM (russian: Радиостанция «Вести ФМ») is a radio station based in Russia and owned by VGTRK. It started broadcasting on February 5, 2008, at 6:00 am Moscow Time. The station is included in the first multiplex of dig ...
radio station, which is part of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, until November 27, 2013, he hosted two author's programs — "Hot Spot" (2010-2013) and "Burn people's hearts with a verb" (2013). On September 9 and 16, 2011, he held an hour-long discussion of the TV series “Split” entitled “Parts of the Whole” on the TV channel “
Culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...
”. In March 2012, Kiselyov replaced Sergei Kurginyan in the Historical Process program. On September 9, 2012, he became the host of the Vesti Nedeli program. In 2010 and from January 2013 to the present, Kiselyov served as the permanent host of Christmas interviews with
Patriarch Kirill Kirill or Cyril (russian: link=Russian, Кирилл, chu, , secular name Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyayev, russian: link=no, Владимир Михайлович Гундяев; born 20 November 1946) is a Russian Orthodox bishop. He became ...
on Russia-1. From September 19 to November 28, 2015, he hosted the quiz show "Knowledge is Power". Author of a documentary series about the
collapse of the USSR The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
called "USSR: the collapse", as well as several documentaries: "Sakharov", "100 days of Gorbachev", "100 days of Yeltsin", "1/6 of the land", "The Great Russian Revolution", “Kurchatov's codes”, “Stop poisoning people. Cinema about wine” and others.


International news agency "Rossiya Segodnya"

On December 9, 2013 it was announced that a new structure would be created on the basis of
RIA Novosti RIA Novosti (russian: РИА Новости), sometimes referred to as RIAN () or RIA (russian: РИА, label=none) is a Russian state-owned domestic news agency. On 9 December 2013 by a decree of Vladimir Putin it was liquidated and its asse ...
— the International News Agency "Rossiya Segodnya". Dmitry Kiselyov was appointed its CEO. According to the presidential decree, the main task of the new agency will be "to cover the state policy of the Russian Federation and Russian public life abroad," and according to Kiselyov, the mission of his organization is "to restore a fair attitude towards Russia as an important country in the world with good intentions." On April 9, 2014, the
Broadcasting Board of Governors The United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), formerly the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), is an independent agency of the United States government that broadcasts news and information. It describes its mission, "vital to US nation ...
(BBG) announced that in a March 21 letter in response to a request to renew an expiring contract to broadcast
Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...
on 810 AM, Rossiya Segodnya Director Dmitry Kiselyov wrote only one sentence: "We will not cooperate." BBG head Jeff Schell said that the termination of the contract is "Moscow's pressure on the media space" and asked for "equal conditions", since the Russian media "enjoy open access to broadcasting in the US and around the world. Russian citizens deserve the same freedom of access to information.” He also stated that BBG will continue to work for the Russian audience on online platforms. The organization of broadcasting via satellite is also not excluded. In April 2016, hackers announced the hacking and theft of the contents of two mailboxes and the
WhatsApp WhatsApp (also called WhatsApp Messenger) is an internationally available freeware, cross-platform, centralized instant messaging (IM) and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by American company Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook). It allows us ...
correspondence of Dmitry Kiselyov, which was put up for auction until May 15. The period from 2009 to 2016 is covered with a total amount of information of 11 gigabytes. One of the accounts used was registered to the wife of Kiselyov Maria. The topic is mainly devoted to the projects "Rossiya Segodnya", also in the array there is data on finances and assets (including the purchase of an elite apartment of 204 m2 on
Tsvetnoy Boulevard Tsvetnoy Boulevard (russian: Цветной бульвар), called ''Trubny Boulevard'' before 1851, is a boulevard in the Meschansky District, central Moscow, Russia. Not a part of the Boulevard Ring, the street runs north/south from Petrovsky ...
for 162 million rubles in February 2014), challenging the personal sanctions imposed by the EU, purchase of a finished diploma thesis and professional scholarly articles for the wife. Among the interlocutors of Kiselyov were Valentina Fedotova, head of the social philosophy sector of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences (who writes the texts of the host on a paid basis), economist , media manager Aram Gabrelyanov, prankster Vovan, Minister of Culture
Vladimir Medinsky Vladimir Rostislavovich Medinsky (russian: link=no, Владимир Ростиславович Мединский, uk, Володимир Ростиславович Мединський; born July 18, 1970) is a Russian political figure, acad ...
.


Activities and commentary

He is best known as presenter of ''Vesti nedeli'' (News of the Week), a weekly news programme on the domestic ''
Rossiya 1 Russia-1 (russian: Россия-1) is a state-owned Russian television channel, first aired on 14 February 1956 as Programme Two in the Soviet Union. It was relaunched as RTR on 13 May 1991, and is known today as Russia-1. It is the flagship cha ...
'' television network. Kiselyov holds ultra-conservative views, in particular on homosexuality. His show is accused of being a soapbox to promote the
Kremlin The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty, Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of th ...
's policies, disparage homosexuality, denigrate the West and speculate about Western-led conspiracies as well as attack the political opposition to Putin. Kiselyov has gained particular notice in the West for his commentary on gay people and statements made during the
2014 Crimean crisis In February and March 2014, Russia invaded and subsequently annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. This event took place in the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity and is part of the wider Russo-Ukrainian War. The Revolution of Dign ...
. Kiselyov considers himself a
liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
, while questioning the liberal credentials of his rivals
Sergey Parkhomenko Sergey Borisovich Parkhomenko (russian: Серге́й Бори́сович Пархо́менко; born March 13, 1964) is a Russian publisher, journalist and political commentator. Biography Parkhomenko was born in Moscow in 1964 and gradua ...
and
Alexei Navalny Alexei Anatolievich Navalny ( rus, links=no, Алексей Анатольевич Навальный, , ɐlʲɪkˈsʲej ɐnɐˈtolʲjɪvʲɪtɕ nɐˈvalʲnɨj; born 4 June 1976) is a Opposition to Vladimir Putin in Russia, Russian opposition ...
. Regarding Parkhomenko and Navalny, he has asked, "Why are they liberals? They are absolutely totalitarian people. I am a liberal, because I put up with them." Kiselyov has been described by ''
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...
'' as Russia's propagandist-in-chief, and in a piece entitled "Russian TV host: Russia is the only country with capability to turn U.S. into 'radioactive ashes'" ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' says that:
He may seem extreme, but Kiselyov apparently has the blessing of the Kremlin: He's been selected to head the new Russian state media conglomerate, ''Rossiya Segodnya'', that is due to replace the well-respected RIA Novosti. He also has a point. Russia is still a major nuclear power, with an estimated 8,500 nuclear warheads, more than the United States.


Praise of Stalin era

Kiselyov has lauded the Stalin era of the Soviet Union, arguing "there were many fewer problems than now. Drug addicts, homosexual marriages, and so on. These things have never been welcomed by Orthodoxy from the outset. I regard them as a Protestant-Lutheran compromise." Both of Kiselyov's grandfathers were repressed by Stalin. One of them was executed during the Stalin era.


Homophobia

In one televised commentary, he said " banning gays from distributing propaganda to children is not enough. I think they should be banned from donating blood or sperm, and if they die in a car crash, their hearts should be burnt or buried in the ground as unsuitable for the continuation of life", suggesting that the internal organs of gay people should be burned and buried rather than be accepted for
organ transplant Organ transplantation is a medical procedure in which an organ is removed from one body and placed in the body of a recipient, to replace a damaged or missing organ. The donor and recipient may be at the same location, or organs may be transpo ...
s. An online petition titled "No Fascism on TV" calling for him to be fired from the ''
Russia 24 Russia-24 (russian: Россия-24) is a state-owned Russian-language news channel from Russia. It covers major national and international events as well as focuses on domestic issues. It is owned by VGTRK. History The broadcast began January 1 ...
'' TV channel gathered over 3,500 signatures, and several bloggers called for his comments to be sanctioned under laws banning extremism and hate speech. However, Kiselyov refused to retract the statement, telling the ''
Izvestia ''Izvestia'' ( rus, Известия, p=ɪzˈvʲesʲtʲɪjə, "The News") is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Russia. Founded in 1917, it was a newspaper of record in the Soviet Union until the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991, and describes ...
'' newspaper that "I'm not a homophobe. Lots of my friends are gay. It is simply global practice, as followed in the United States, the European Union, Japan, and Arab countries. Practically everywhere except Russia" he said, claiming that he just wanted Russia to become more "civilized" and join the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and the
Arab world The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
by prohibiting gay people from donating blood and other organs. He also incorrectly claimed that the
Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...
in the US kept a database of "everyone in the US who has had a same-sex sexual relation over the past twenty years, with the equivalent EU agency doing the same", according to ''
The Moscow Times ''The Moscow Times'' is an independent English-language and Russian-language online newspaper. It was in print in Russia from 1992 until 2017 and was distributed free of charge at places frequented by English-speaking tourists and expatriates s ...
''.
Timothy Snyder Timothy David Snyder (born August 18, 1969) is an American historian specializing in the modern history of Central and Eastern Europe. He is the Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale University and a permanent fellow at the Institute f ...
writes in ''
The New York Review of Books ''The New York Review of Books'' (or ''NYREV'' or ''NYRB'') is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of i ...
'' that "Kiselyov has taken Putin's campaign against gay rights and transformed it into a weapon against
European integration European integration is the process of industrial, economic integration, economic, political, legal, social integration, social, and cultural Regional integration, integration of states wholly or partially in Europe or nearby. European integrat ...
." Concerning murders on the basis of the victim's homosexuality, he claimed that "they knowingly call for and provoke the situation in order to become victims" and that the society naturally counters their activities by "most variable, including brutal forms". Kiselyov has also condemned
gay pride parades A pride parade (also known as pride march, pride event, or pride festival) is an outdoor event celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer culture, queer (LGBTQ) social and self-acceptance, achievements, LGBT rights by country o ...
and while he opposes
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...
, he has been sympathetic to the idea of
civil unions A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...
for same-sex couples.


Sweden

In
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, he gained media attention in December 2013 when he criticized the moral values of that country in response to the 2013 Ukrainian protests, for which he partly blamed the Swedish political leadership and Swedish foreign minister
Carl Bildt Nils Daniel Carl Bildt (born 15 July 1949) is a Swedish politician and diplomat who was Prime Minister of Sweden from 1991 to 1994. He was the leader of the Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999. Bildt served as Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs ...
as well as the government of
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
, accusing Poland and Sweden of fomenting the protests to avenge defeats in centuries-old Polish-Russian and
Russo-Swedish Wars Wars between Russia and Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> ...
.


Ukraine

On May 15, 2014, Kiselyov said about the country, "There is no Ukraine. That is only a virtual concept, a virtual country. If you want to live in a virtual world, please do. ... But Ukraina.ru is a real portal. Not about the country, but about that territory which was under the rule of that country. Now it is a failed state." Dmitry Kiselyov being on the
list A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
for the first round of personal sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU in March 2014, in connection with the
Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatist forces in Donbas, Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since Feb ...
, came as ″the biggest surprise″ to the international media. Since September 11, 2014, Kiselyov is banned from entering Ukraine. In 2016, he admitted that a document he had presented on his weekly Vesti Nedeli news show was fake. A week after presenting the identity of a Ukrainian officer in the Galician SS-Volunteer division, he "thanked the attentive audience for finding “inaccuracies” in the document and said it was fake".


Syria

In October 2015, Kiselyov was quoted as claiming that the US was fighting alongside the
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ' ...
(ISIS) in Syria, saying: "In Syria, America stands on the side of the terrorist caliphate. Together they are trying to destroy Syria as a secular state." Kiselyov later blamed the
Metrojet Flight 9268 Metrojet Flight 9268 was an international chartered passenger flight, operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia (branded as Metrojet). On 31 October 2015, at 06:13 local time EST (04:13 UTC), an Airbus A321-231 operating the flight exploded a ...
crash on a secret pact between America and ISIS, and has said that if American bombers were to attack the Syrian army, then "We'll shoot them down". He also said that "imprudent behaviour" towards Russia in retaliation for its actions in the war may lead to "nuclear" consequences.


2014 "radioactive dust" threat

On March 16, 2014, against the backdrop of the Crimean referendum held a day prior, Kiselyov commented in his weekly current affairs and analytical programme '' Vesti Nedeli'' (''News of the Week'') in the context of his presentation about Vladimir Putin being a stronger leader than U.S. president
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
: "After all, Russia is the only country in the world that is truly capable of turning the USA into radioactive dust." He also suggested that that was the reason why Obama's hair had been turning grey. Vladimir Putin in October 2016 replied to a question about Kiselyov's "radioactive dust" remark by saying that
nuclear Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: * Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics *Nuclear space *Nuclear ...
sabre-rattling was "harmful rhetoric"; the Q&A exchange was shortly afterwards commented on by Kiselyov in his programme, in which he elaborated on what Putin actually said.


2016 US presidential election

Kiselyov described the
2016 United States presidential election The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket ...
as "the dirtiest campaign in the history of the United States", and that "It has been so revoltingly foul that there is real disgust at the fact that ... they still talk of democracy in America". He also repeated unfounded allegations of
electoral fraud Electoral fraud, sometimes referred to as election manipulation, voter fraud or vote rigging, involves illegal interference with the process of an election, either by increasing the vote share of a favored candidate, depressing the vote share of ...
throughout the election, claiming that they made 1990s electoral fraud in Russia look like "simple child's play in comparison". Following the election of
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
as the
president-elect An ''officer-elect'' is a person who has been elected to a position but has not yet been installed. Notably, a president who has been elected but not yet installed would be referred to as a ''president-elect'' (e.g. president-elect of the Unit ...
, Kiselyov praised Trump as an "anti-establishment" candidate, welcoming his readiness to co-operate with Putin. In early 2017, Kiselyov stopped praising Trump and said he was more dangerous and unpredictable than North Korean leader
Kim Jong Un Kim Jong-un (; , ; born 8 January 1982) is a North Korean politician who has been Supreme Leader of North Korea since 2011 and the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is a son of Kim Jong-il, who was North Korea's secon ...
.


2022 United Kingdom nuclear threats

On 1 May 2022, Kiselyov threatened then-Prime Minister
Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as F ...
with nuclear annihilation on his Sunday night news show, claiming without evidence, the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
could be "plunged into the sea" and turned into a "radioactive wasteland" by a single Russian underwater nuclear strike.


Personal life

He has been married several times. By the age of 22, he had been married three times. He was criticized for his numerous marriages by the Communist Party. Kiselyov has said that the party blocked his career in the final years of the Soviet Union due to the numerous marriages. He is religious and a strong supporter of
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow Kirill or Cyril (russian: link=Russian, Кирилл, chu, , secular name Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyayev, russian: link=no, Владимир Михайлович Гундяев; born 20 November 1946) is a Russian Orthodox bishop. He became ...
.


Awards

*
Order of Friendship The Order of Friendship (russian: Орден Дружбы, ') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation established by Boris Yeltsin by presidential decree 442 of 2 March 1994 to reward Russian and foreign nationals whose work, deeds a ...
(2011) *
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (russian: Орден «За заслуги перед Отечеством», ''Orden "Za zaslugi pered Otechestvom"'') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was instituted on 2 March 1994 by P ...
4th class (2014) * Order of
St. Sergius of Radonezh Sergius of Radonezh (russian: Се́ргий Ра́донежский, ''Sergii Radonezhsky''; 14 May 1314 – 25 September 1392), also known as Sergiy Radonezhsky, Serge of Radonezh and Sergius of Moscow, was a spiritual leader and monastic ref ...
2nd degree (
Russian Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = ru , image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg , imagewidth = , alt = , caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia , abbreviation = ROC , type ...
, 2014)


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kiselyov, Dmitry 1954 births Living people Russian propagandists Russian nationalists Russian media executives Russian journalists Russian television presenters Conservatism in Russia Mass media people from Moscow People of the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class Russian conspiracy theorists Russian individuals subject to the European Union sanctions Russian individuals subject to United Kingdom sanctions Anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Russia