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Tsargrad TV

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Tsargrad TV
CountryRussia
Broadcast areaRussia
HeadquartersMoscow, Russia
Programming
Language(s)Russian
Ownership
OwnerKonstantin Malofeev
History
Launched12 April 2015; 9 years ago (2015-04-12)
Links
Websitetsargrad.tv

Tsargrad TV (Russian: Царьград ТВ) is a Russian television channel owned by Konstantin Malofeev. It was named after Tsargrad, the old Slavic name for Constantinople. It is known for its pro-Kremlin and Russian Orthodox stances.[1]

History

[edit]

Konstantin Malofeev hired former Fox News news director John "Jack" Hanick (Russian: Джек Хэник born 1950), who, with producer Roger Ailes, co-founded Fox News, was its news director from 1996 to 2011 and moved to Moscow in 2013 to help Malofeev launch the channel.[2][3][4][5] From at least 2013 until 2018, Hanick supported Malofeev in several schemes.[6][7][8][9][10][a] Beginning in the fall of 2014, Hanick worked for Ilya Kuzmenkov (Russian: Илья Кузьменков), who was the general director and editor-in-chief of the channel.[12][13] The channel started broadcasting on 12 April 2015 with Andrei Afanasiev (Russian: Андрей Афанасьев, born 1988 or 1989), who graduated from both MGIMO and Complutense University of Madrid and was a former RT employee from 2010 to 2014, as the news anchor.[14][15] Aleksandr Dugin was named chief editor the same year.[16] He has since been replaced by Elena Sharoykina. It is known for being conservative, mixing Russian Orthodox Christianity with Soviet nationalism,[17][18] and supporting president Vladimir Putin.[15][19][20]

Vladimir Putin gives carte blanche to Tsargrad TV which according to Malofeev is the Russian equivalent to Fox News.[15]

In January 2017, KGB and Foreign Intelligence Service (Russia) Lieutenant General Leonid Reshetnikov headed the supervisory board of Tsargrad TV.[21] Since 2017, the deputy editor in chief is Mikhail Borisovich Smolin.[22][b].

Tsargrad TV Analytical Group is a very strong supporter of the United States alternative truth (Russian: альтернативная правда) or alt-right movement and provides support for Richard Spencer, Peter Schweizer, Milo Yiannopoulos, Breitbart News, Steve Bannon, Charles Bausman, whose wife Kristina Bausman is from Mednogorsk, Jordan Peterson and Alex Jones who appears frequently on Tsargrad TV and prominently supports Alexander Dugin.[29][30][31][32][33][34]

On 12 February 2020, Dmitry Skuratov, who is the son of Yuri Skuratov, became the general director of Tsargrad TV and Daria Tokareva (Russian: Дарья Токарева) became the editor-in-chief after Elena Sharoykina (Russian: Елена Шаройкина) left those positions for another position at Tsargrad TV.[35]

Through Tsargrad TV and Malofeev, the pro Russia former Greek defense minister Panos Kammenos is very close to Hanick and Reshetnikov.[15]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tsargrad TV strongly supported the anti vaccination movement with Tsargrad TV host Alexandra Mashkova-Blagikh (Russian: Александра Владимировна Машкова-Благих) as an outspoken critic of COVID-19 vaccines.[36]

In 2020, YouTube blocked its channel, citing U.S. sanctions against Malofeev.[37]

In March 2022, Hanick was the first person criminally indicted by the United States Department of Justice for violating United States sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War for allegedly providing assistance to Malofeev in order to unfreeze some of Malofeev's assets.[7][9][38][39]

In August 2023, the website of the Russian TV channel Tsargrad, which is linked to Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, was blocked in Kazakhstan.[40] The TV channel was sanctioned by the EU in December 2023.[41]

Notes

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  1. ^ Under SYRIZA, Jack Hanick supported both Malofeev and Putin's goals by establishing the HellasNet TV network in Greece in 2015. HellasNet TV is a sister network of Tsargrad TV. Hanick explained to Malofeev that HellasNet TV would be an "opportunity to analyze in detail Russia's point of view on Greek television." With collaboration from journalist Kostas Vaxevanis, HellasNet TV was financed and headed by shipowner Yiannis Karagiorgis (Greek: γιαννησ καραγιωργησ). The HellasNet TV network was formed from ten regional stations: Attica TV in Athens and the main station, Alfa Television of Northern Greece (Eastern Macedonia and Thrace), Corfu Channel/Corfu Television (Western Greece), Network 1 Kastoria (Region of Western Macedonia), ENA Central Greece (Central Greece), Irida TV of Rhodes (Dodecanese), PLP Achaia (Peloponnese), Sitia TV of Lassithi (Crete), TVM of Lesvos (North Aegean) and TRT Magnesia (Thessaly). Others support the network include Panos Kammenos, the then Minister of Infrastructure Christos Spirtzis, the "red" contractor Christos Kalogritsas (Greek: Χρήστος Καλογρίτσας) whom the SYRIZA government had facilitated a loan for him from the state-controlled Attica Bank to buy a TV station license, the then Minister of Tourism Elena Kountoura and the General Secretary of Information, at the time, Lefteris Kretsos (Greek: Λευτέρης Κρέτσος).[4][11]
  2. ^ Mikhail Borisovich Smolin (Russian: Миха́ил Бори́сович Смо́лин, born February 22, 1971) is a nationalist Russian historian that writes with nationalist Russian conservative thought. In 1996, he graduated from the Faculty of History of St. Petersburg State University. In 2002, he defended his thesis for the degree of Candidate of Historical Sciences on the topic "State and legal ideas of L.A. Tikhomirov" (Russian: «Государственно-правовые идеи Л. А. Тихомирова»).[23][24] He became a member of the Union of Writers of Russia. He is a publicist that owns publishing house for the Moscow firm Society for the Development of Russian Historical Education "Two-Headed Eagle" (Russian: Общество развития русского исторического просвещения «Двуглавый орёл»); M. B. Smolin Publishing House (FIV) (Russian: Издательство М. Б. Смолина (ФИВ)), and heads the Orthodox Center for Imperial Political Studies (Russian: Православный центр имперских исследований), the executive director of the Imperial Revival Foundation (Russian: фонд «Имперский возрождения»), as well as the editor-in-chief of the journals Imperial Revival (Russian: Имперское возрождение), Orthodox Volga Region (Russian: Православное Поволжье), Bulletin of South-Western Russia (Russian: Вестник Юго-Запада России) and, since 1997, the editor-publisher of the book series Ways of Russian Imperial Consciousness (Russian: Пути русского имперского сознания), Orthodox Thought (Russian: Православная мысль) and Imperial Tradition (Russian: Императорская традиция). He runs the website for the Two-Headed Eagle Society (Russian: Двуглавый орёл) (rusorel.info).[22][23][25][26] The Double-Headed Eagle Society is now known as the All-Russian Public Organization Society for the Promotion of Russian Historical Development Tsargrad (Tsargrad Society), which, according the United States Department of Treasury, is a Russia-registered organization which has been accused of involvement in espionage on behalf of Russia and is under United States sanctions since 20 April 2022.[27][28]

References

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  1. ^ "YouTube Blocks Accounts Of Pro-Kremlin Analyst, Orthodox TV Channel In Russia". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 28 July 2020.
  2. ^ Мацан, Константин (Matsan, Konstantin) (14 August 2013). "В России чувствуешь себя свободнее: Интервью с американцем Джеком Хаником, создателем телеканала Fox News" [You feel freer in Russia: Interview with American Jack Hanick, creator of Fox News]. Фома (foma.ru) "Thomas" (in Russian). Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Лученко, Ксения (Luchenko, Ksenia) (7 October 2014). "«Я лично никак не связан с политикой канала». ДЖЕК ХАНИК, АМЕРИКАНСКИЙ ПРОДЮСЕР РОССИЙСКОГО ТЕЛЕКАНАЛА «ЦАРЬГРАД-ТВ», — О ХРИСТИАНСКОМ ТЕЛЕВИДЕНИИ, АНТИГЕЙСКОМ ЗАКОНЕ И БУДУЩЕМ ЖУРНАЛИСТИКИ" ["I personally have nothing to do with the politics of the channel". JACK HANICK, AMERICAN PRODUCER OF THE RUSSIAN TV CHANNEL TSARGRAD TV, TALKS ABOUT CHRISTIAN TELEVISION, ANTI-GAY LAW AND THE FUTURE OF JOURNALISM]. Colta.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b Fine, Thomas A. (27 February 2018). "Tsargrad TV: The Fox News of Russia". Medium (medium.com). Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  5. ^ Reid Ross, Alexander (21 February 2018). "THE INTERNET RESEARCH AGENCY: BEHIND THE SHADOWY NETWORK THAT MEDDLED IN THE 2016 ELECTIONS: Special counsel Robert Mueller, Jr., indicted 13 agents from the Saint Petersburg based Internet Research Agency last Friday, but the shadowy figures behind the organization remain obscure". Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Archived from the original on 27 February 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  6. ^ Анисимова, Наталия (Anisimova, Natalia) (3 February 2023). "США "аннексировали" банковский счет Константина Малофеева: Суд конфисковал $5,4 млн бизнесмена за попытку обойти санкции" [The United States "annexed" the bank account of Konstantin Malofeev: The court confiscated $ 5.4 million businessman for trying to circumvent sanctions]. RBK (in Russian). Retrieved 13 June 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ a b Cohen, Luc (3 March 2022). "U.S. charges Russian oligarch's TV producer with violating Crimea-related sanctions". Reuters. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  8. ^ "В США востребовали $5,4 млн со счета российского бизнесмена Малофеева" [In the United States, $ 5.4 million was claimed from the account of Russian businessman Malofeev]. Voice of America (in Russian). 1 December 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Власти США уточнили претензии к российскому бизнесмену Константину Малофееву" [The US authorities clarified the claims against the Russian businessman Konstantin Malofeev]. raspinews.ru (in Russian). 9 January 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  10. ^ Matirko, Jack (3 March 2022). "Former Fox News Director John Hanick charged with violating Russia sanctions". Onlysky.media. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Ρώσικη προπαγάνδα: Το ελληνικό παρακλάδι του δικτύου που αποκάλυψε το FBI: H σύλληψη του Jack Hanick και η προσπάθεια διείσδυσης της ρωσικής προπαγάνδας στην Ελλάδα – Το δίκτυο Hellasnet που στήθηκε το 2015 επί ΣΥΡΙΖΑ από τον εφοπλιστή Καραγιώργη, κουμπάρο του Ρώσου ολιγάρχη Malofeyev" [Russian propaganda: The Greek branch of the network revealed by the FBI: The arrest of Jack Hanick and the attempt to infiltrate Russian propaganda in Greece – The Hellasnet network set up in 2015 under SYRIZA by shipowner Karagiorgis, best man of Russian oligarch Malofeyev]. Proto Thema (protothema.gr) (in Greek). Archived from the original on 30 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  12. ^ «Я лично никак не связан с политикой канала»: Джек Ханик, американский продюсер российского телеканала «Царьград-ТВ», — о христианском телевидении, антигейском законе и будущем журналистики
  13. ^ God’s Oligarch: One of Vladimir Putin’s favorite businessmen wants to start an Orthodox Christian Fox News and return Russia to its glorious czarist past.
  14. ^ "Андрей Афанасьев" [Andrey Afanasyev]. ruskline.ru (in Russian). 13 June 2023. Archived from the original on 13 June 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  15. ^ a b c d Weaver, Courtney (16 October 2015). "God's TV, Russian style: Meet Konstantin Malofeev — the devout and fervently pro-Putin founder of Orthodox channel Tsargrad TV". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 14 December 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  16. ^ Shymko, Lesia (5 September 2019). "The weaponization of religion: How the Kremlin is using Christian fundamentalism to advance Moscow's agenda". The Day (Kiev).
  17. ^ ВЕЛИКИЕ ДЕРЖАВЫ ПОДЕЛИЛИ МИР: РЕЦЕПТ ДЛЯ ПУТИНА
  18. ^ ГОРДОН НАПОМНИЛ РУССКИМ ГЛАВНЫЙ ТОСТ СТАЛИНА ПОСЛЕ ПОБЕДЫ НАД ФАШИСТАМИ
  19. ^ Keating, Joshua (20 October 2014). "One of Vladimir Putin's Favorite Businessmen Wants to Start an Orthodox Christian Fox News". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on 3 October 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  20. ^ "What Russian TV can tell us about Putin's goals". NewsComAu. 11 May 2017. Archived from the original on 29 September 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  21. ^ Рустамова, Фарида (Rustamova, Farida) (13 November 2017). "За веру, царя и приличия: как Поклонская осталась одна в своей борьбе" [For faith, the king and decency: how Poklonskaya was left alone in her struggle]. BBC (in Russian). Retrieved 13 June 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ a b "Михаил Борисович Смолин" [Mikhail Borisovich Smolin]. Russian Institute for Strategic Studies (RISI) (in Russian). 1 April 2016. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  23. ^ a b "СМОЛИН МИХАИЛ БОРИСОВИЧ (Р. 22.02.1971), ИСТОРИК РУССКОЙ КОНСЕРВАТИВНОЙ МЫСЛИ, ПУБЛИЦИСТ" [SMOLIN MIKHAIL BORISOVICH (B. 22.02.1971), HISTORIAN OF RUSSIAN CONSERVATIVE THOUGHT, PUBLICIST.]. Cronos (in Russian). February 2015. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  24. ^ Смолин, Михаил Борисович (Smolin, Mikhail Borisovich) [in Russian] (2004). "«Государственно-правовые идеи Л. А. Тихомирова»" ["State and Legal Ideas of L. A. Tikhomirov"]. Saint Petersburg State University. Saint Petersburg. Archived from the original on 7 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Alternate archive.
  25. ^ "Решетников Леонид Петрович" [Reshetnikov Leonid Petrovich]. Двуглавый орёл (rusorel.info) (in Russian). 2021. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  26. ^ "Смолин Михаил Борисович" [Smolin Mikhail Borisovich]. Двуглавый орёл (rusorel.info) (in Russian). 2021. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  27. ^ "U.S. Treasury Designates Facilitators of Russian Sanctions Evasion: Treasury Targets Financial and Operational Support Networks for Attempts to Evade U.S., International Sanctions. Treasury Takes New Step of Designating a Virtual Currency Mining Company". United States Department of Treasury. 20 April 2022. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  28. ^ "Russia-related Designations and Designation Update. Issuance of Russia-related General Licenses". Office of Foreign Assets Control. 20 April 2022. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  29. ^ "Интернет-гиганты объявили войну конспирологу Алексу Джонсу" [Internet giants have declared war on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones]. BBC (in Russian). 6 August 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  30. ^ Чихарев, Иван Александрович (Chikharev, Ivan Alexandrovich); Чихарев, Иван Иванович (Chikharev, Ivan Ivanovich) (2017). "Альтернативные права в избирательном пространстве: американская и российская проекты" [Alternative right in the electoral space: American and Russian projects]. Российская политология: Тема номера «Политические выборы в России и за рубежом». (Russian Political Science) (No. 1, 2017) pp. 42-48 (in Russian). Retrieved 12 July 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  31. ^ McIntire, Mike (3 July 2022). "An American's Murky Path From Russian Propagandist to Jan. 6: Charles Bausman, a former financial executive who runs websites that promote far-right views, recorded footage in the Capitol for a Russian television producer. Soon after, he fled to Moscow as a "political refugee."". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  32. ^ Hayden, Michael Edison (1 September 2021). "Far-Right Propagandist Turns up in Moscow After Jan. 6". Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  33. ^ Lebedev, Jaroslav (Lebedev, Yaroslav) (2 April 2020). "Moskovský dispečing: Vzostup pravicového radikalizmu v Rusku" [Moscow dispatch: The rise of right-wing radicalism in Russia]. Covert Action Magazine (covertactionmagazine.com) (in Slovak). Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  34. ^ "Другие правые" [Other Right] (in Russian). 21 June 2016. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  35. ^ "На канале "Царьград" сменились гендиректор и главный редактор: Елена Шаройкина останется работать внутри группы компаний, но будет заниматься другим проектом" [On the channel "Tsargrad" the general director and editor-in-chief were replaced: Elena Sharoikina will continue to work within the group of companies, but will be engaged in another project]. TASS (in Russian). 12 February 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  36. ^ Сатановский, Сергей (Satanovsky, Sergey) (18 March 2021). "Почему россияне не спешат прививаться от коронавируса: Несмотря на доступность "Спутника V", вакцинация в России идет медленно. Что не так с пиар-сопровождением вакцинации в России, DW узнавала у экспертов" [Why Russians are in no hurry to get vaccinated against coronavirus: Despite the availability of Sputnik V, vaccination in Russia is slow. What is wrong with the PR support of vaccination in Russia, DW learned from experts.]. DW (in Russian). Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  37. ^ "Citing U.S. sanctions against Russian oligarch, YouTube permanently blocks right-wing, Christian Orthodox news network". meduza.io. Archived from the original on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  38. ^ "TV Producer for Russian Oligarch Charged with Violating Crimea-Related Sanctions". U.S. Department of Justice. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  39. ^ Spocchia, Gino (8 March 2022). "Former Fox News director indicted for violating Crimea sanctions and helping Russian billionaire: Justice Department vows end to 'Russian aggression' with first Crimea-linked sanctions violation". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  40. ^ "Website of Russian propaganda TV channel Tsargrad blocked in Kazakhstan". Ukrainska Pravda. 17 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  41. ^ "Sanctions against Russia – a timeline". 19 December 2023.
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