A viral moment tends to spark political hope. But does it ultimately reveal more about the desire for change than the likelihood of it? Regzena Erdyneeva discusses the reception and impact of a viral Instagram video in which beauty blogger Victoria Bonya criticizes the Kremlin.
*
She recently spread conspiracy theories about the alleged role of 5G towers in the pandemic. After the war in Ukraine broke out, she cut up her Chanel bag on camera to protest the sanctions imposed on Russia. Apart from such stunts, beauty blogger Victoria Bonya has hardly made a political splash. She primarily creates lifestyle and beauty content. As the former partner of a millionaire from Ireland, she has lived in Monaco for over 15 years and moves in affluent circles. She has over 13 million Instagram followers and earns a living through advertising and her own cosmetics brand.
It began almost like a comedy: On April 13, the blogger posted an 18-minute address to Vladimir Putin on her Instagram account.
Denouncing injustices
Among other topics, she spoke about flooding in the Republic of Dagestan and the government’s lack of relief efforts. She also discussed the ecological disaster on the Black Sea coast. Drone attacks on oil facilities caused oil and ash particles to enter the atmosphere, which subsequently fell onto the region with the rain. Large sections of the coastline and the animals that live there remain contaminated by petroleum products. According to many independent journalists, government agencies have attempted to downplay the extent of the damage.
As a blogger primarily targeting a Russian-speaking audience, Bonya also addressed a pressing personal issue: internet blockades in Russia. These restrictions have been growing in scope for some time now, affecting both regions and major cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg. In addition to shutting down messaging services, the government is blocking VPN services and, in some cases, mobile internet as well. Apps for online banking, the government online portal for administrative services (Gosuslugi), and other government services are affected as well. These restrictions severely impact the daily lives of many people. The economic consequences quickly follow, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises that often conduct business online. Bonya addresses this issue in her speech. However, the entire state infrastructure is also affected.
Viral spread and reaction
Then, events unfolded at breakneck speed. The video garnered significant attention in Russia and was viewed more than 30 million times. Initially, Kremlin-aligned journalist Vladimir Solovyov and State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov criticized the influencer, calling her a “slut” and a “Dubai escort.” Bonya’s response was quick: According to her, she began preparing a class-action lawsuit with other women whom Solovyov had insulted.
Some of her followers have already crowned the influencer the ‘voice of the people’ in the comment sections. Some want her to become president, while others predict the imminent downfall of the Putin regime. Several media outlets in Europe have also picked up the story. Some reports expressed hope that the political situation in Russia might finally change and that access to affordable natural gas and oil might become possible again.
Desire for change
Be that as it may: The desire for change exists not only within Russia. Outside the country, every visible deviation from the official narrative is closely followed, sometimes with expectations that exceed the actual political significance of such events. Bonya herself expressed it in much more modest terms: “Vladimir Vladimirovich [i.e., Putin] is a strong politician,” she said, “but he does not have all the information and has no realistic impression of how difficult life actually is for the population.”
Among the blind, the one-eyed man is king, and so Bonya becomes a projection screen for political hopes for some.
The video and the outrage it sparked have once again confirmed the state of democracy in Russia. For decades, domestic problems have been portrayed more positively through state-owned media than they actually are. State media relentlessly repeats the narrative of an ‘evil West’ and a power-hungry NATO that allegedly does not want to leave Russia alone. At the same time, the comparatively liberal opposition remains just as distant for many people in provincial Russia. Their narratives often remain limited to salon conversations among like-minded people, far removed from the reality of life for many. How great must frustration and hope be that individual viral Instagram Reels are seen as the beginning of political change?
Many unanswered questions
Victoria Bonya deserves credit for addressing concrete problems. She didn’t talk about abstract concepts of democracy, but rather, everyday experiences. The video clearly struck a nerve. Suddenly, the influencer connected with people who feel unrepresented by the state and opposition media. The pent-up social unease seemed to find an outlet suddenly, which is exactly what many people long for – those who have felt abandoned by the political system and those in power for a long time. Perhaps that explains the success of her video. Bonya did not speak like an opposition politician but rather like someone from her viewers’ everyday lives. Not morally or ideologically, but emotionally and concretely.
However, the situation isn’t all that rosy. What seemed like a political awakening quickly turned into a banal media spectacle. Soon, the conflict between Solovyov and Bonya reached an almost grotesque climax. In a live broadcast, the two faced off via video call on his show. During the broadcast, the TV host appeared surprisingly calm, if not gentle. “I absolutely must apologize. You’re right; I was far too emotional.” Whether these words were sincere remains an open question.
The scandalous host rarely asks for forgiveness. The last time he did so was last year when he insulted the Akhmat unit of the Kadyrovtsy militia from Chechnya. However, in the Republic of Chechnya, different rules apply. Public insults can have far more serious consequences there than a typical social media backlash. And Bonya? Why is a Kremlin propaganda mouthpiece suddenly apologizing to a single mother who doesn’t even live in Russia? That question remains unanswered, too.
Symbolic politics from the comfort of one’s own sofa
The entire situation left a bad taste in one’s mouth. Upon closer inspection, however, it seems almost trivial. In the end, Solovyov and Bonya discussed the idea of creating an online platform within the state-run messaging app Max. Through this platform, citizens could address the president directly. However, the app itself is facing massive criticism in the country. Many people distrust the platform due to potential security vulnerabilities and fear that it facilitates telephone surveillance by the FSB.
Was all of this a staged event? Or did the conflict initially escalate on its own before the state apparatus’ PR managers laboriously and skillfully steered the narrative in a different direction? The strength of modern authoritarian systems lies in the fact that public outrage does not always have to be completely or forcibly suppressed. Often, it is absorbed by the system, processed by the media, and ultimately steered into harmless channels. Social media further fuels this dynamic; outrage can be expressed from the comfort of one’s own home. After leaving a few comments, you can go to bed feeling like you’ve at least symbolically taken a stand.
Media attention without political impact?
The Bonya case once again shows how easily media attention is confused with political impact. Individual voices may go viral and raise hopes temporarily, but they don’t change systems. The hype arises suddenly, possibly overnight. You wake up, grab your phone, and suddenly it seems as if only this one topic exists. Within hours, the story spreads across social networks, comment sections, and news sites. No sooner have you begun to grapple with it than the collective excitement fades again. Then, the next topic takes center stage.
In authoritarian states, as well as in countries that are geopolitically dependent on them, the desire for change often exceeds the actual likelihood of social transformation. As the movie “Terminator 2” (1991) puts it, the future is not set in stone. However, politically, it moves much more slowly and remains largely unaffected by viral moments. When credible public voices are absent, even a beauty blogger’s Instagram Reel can seem like political opposition. Yet, it is precisely here that the real void becomes apparent. Neither viral attention nor short-lived outrage can replace independent journalism and freedom of expression. It’s no coincidence that both are considered central pillars of any democracy.