After learning that Vladimir Putin is imposing an Instagram ban in the midst of his country’s continuing war with Ukraine, some of Russia’s most well-known influencers have burst into tears.
The ban took effect on Monday, only days after the Kremlin alleged that the social media platform was inciting “violence against Russians.”
Popular public personalities grieved at the news in their final video posts before having their accounts limited, with one stating it felt like her life “was being ripped away” from her.
According to Insider, Russian reality TV actress Olga Buzova, 36, wrote her 23.3 million fans, “I am not frightened of expressing that I do not want to lose you.”
“I have no idea what the future holds,” she sobbed even more in the seven-minute video. “I’m not sure.” I simply gave you a glimpse inside my life, my job, and my soul. This was not merely a job for me; it is a part of my spirit. It feels as if a significant portion of my heart and life is being ripped from me.”
Olga Buzova, 36, told her millions of fans that it felt like her life was being taken away from her.
Elsewhere, an unidentified Russian beauty blogger apparently also wept at the news of the ban, with the footage posted to Twitter by news channel Nexta TV.
“To me, it’s all life. It’s the soul. It’s the one thing with which I wake up, fall asleep. F–king five years in a row,” she purportedly stated in her native Russian.
The brunette was promptly slammed on Twitter, with one critic responding: “Ukrainians are paying with their lives, while Russians thought they don’t need pay anything?
However, the backlash hasn’t deterred other celebrities from lamenting the end of Russia’s Instagram era.
Valeria Chekalina, a social media influencer with 10.5 million followers, posted a sobbing face emoji to her profile and encouraged admirers to follow her on other platforms, such as Telegram.
Liza Lukasheva, who has a million Instagram followers, posted a brief video saying goodbye to her adoring admirers.
The Instagram suspension came after Meta, the company that owns both Instagram and Facebook, established a new policy that exclusively applies to Ukraine and permits for incitement for violence in posts concerning Russia’s invasion.
Liza Lukasheva shared a video to her Instagram Stories farewelling her fans.
The Instagram restriction takes place in the midst of Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
Putin, on the other hand, is likely to wish to protect residents from outside influences and critical voices found on the site.
Some of Russia’s most powerful Instagram users, including the daughter of oligarch Roman Abramovich and the daughter of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, spoke out against the invasion of Ukraine earlier this month.
The ban is a brutal blow to influencers such as bikini babe Buzkova.
Given their strong links to Putin, it’s likely that the president was aware that the app was being used to spread anti-war sentiments.
The ban was announced on Friday, with Russia’s communications regulator sending an email to users advising them to move their photographs and videos from Instagram before they lose access, as well as recommending that they use the country’s own “competitive internet platforms.”
“We must ensure the psychological well-being of citizens, particularly children and adolescents, in order to protect them from online harassment and insults,” Roskomnadzor added.
According to Instagram’s CEO, the ban will affect 80 million of the platform’s users.