Dmitry Konstantinovich Kiselyov

Dmitry Konstantinovich Kiselyov
Born Dmitry Konstantinovich Kiselyov
(1954-04-26) April 26, 1954
Moscow, Soviet Union (Present-day Russia)
Occupation ex. Journalist
Years active 2011–present

Dmitry Konstantinovich Kiselyov (Russian: Дми́трий Константи́нович Киселёв, born April 26, 1954 in Moscow)[1] is a Russian journalist and pro-Vladimir Putin pundit. In December 2013 he was appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin to head the new official Russian government-owned international news agency Rossiya Segodnya, a 2,300-person organization made up largely of the former RIA Novosti news agency and the shortwave radio station Voice of Russia. He also serves as deputy director of Russian state TV holding company VGTRK.[2]

Many of his comments have been controversial and have been labelled right-wing; he has gained particular notoriety in the West for his commentary on homosexuals[2] and his statement made during the 2014 Crimean crisis, that Russia is "the only country in the world capable of turning the U.S.A. into radioactive dust."[3][4] Kiselyov considers himself a liberal and he says of his opponents as: "Parkhomenko and Navalny. Why they are liberals? They are absolutely totalitarian people. I am a liberal, because I put up with them." Also he doesn't consider himself as homophobic.[5] Kiselyov has been described by The Economist as Russia’s propagandist-in-chief.[6][7]

Career

He is best known as presenter of Vesti nedeli (News of the Week),[2] a weekly news programme on the domestic Rossiya 1 television network. A show which he is accused of using as a soapbox to promote the Kremlin's policies,[2] malign homosexuality, denigrate the west and speculate about Western-led conspiracies as well as attack the political opposition to Putin.[8] Prior to Rossiya 1, Dmitry was employed by Soviet Central Television as well as the Ukrainian television channel ICTV between 2000 and 2003.[9]

Controversy

Homophobia

In one televised commentary, he said "[Gays] should be prohibited from donating blood, sperm,... And their hearts, in case they die in a car accident, should be buried or burned as unfit for extending anyone's life,"[2] suggesting that the internal organs of homosexuals should be burned and buried rather than be accepted for organ transplants.[8]

Sweden

In Sweden, he became controversial 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[10] as well as the government of Poland, accusing Poland and Sweden of fomenting the protests to avenge defeats in centuries-old Polish-Russian and Russo-Swedish Wars.[8]

Ukraine

On 16 March 2014, the day of Crimean referendum, Kiselyov stated in the News of the Week broadcast that Russia is "the only country in the world capable of turning the U.S.A. into radioactive dust."[3]

On 20 March 2014, the European Union unveiled a list of Russians to be sanctioned over the Ukrainian crisis. Kiselyov was included into sanctions list[11] for being a "central figure of the government propaganda supporting the deployment of Russian forces in Ukraine".[12]

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.”[13]

Since 11 September 2014 Kiselyov is banned from entering Ukraine.[14]

Syria

In October 2015 Kiselyov was quoted as claiming that the US was fighting alongside ISIS in Syria: "[15]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 crash on a secret pact between America and ISIS.[16]

Personal life

Kiselyov is married to Maria and they have four children, two in common and two from their previous marriages. He studied philology at Leningrad State University and claims to speak English, French, Norwegian and Swedish.[17]

References

  1. ↑ Ведущим программы "Вести недели" на "России 1" станет Дмитрий Киселев (in Russian). Russia-1. Retrieved 14 December 2013. Дмитрий Киселев родился 26 апреля 1954 года
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Daisy Sindelar (December 15, 2013). "In Choosing Kiselyov, Media Critics Say Putin Opts For Personal Propagandist". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Russia could turn U.S. ‘into radioactive dust,’ influential Moscow news anchor tells viewers". National Post. Associated Press. March 17, 2014. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010.
  4. ↑ Россия пригрозила превратить США в радиоактивный пепел, 2014-03-16, retrieved 2016-01-18
  5. ↑ http://top.rbc.ru/society/04/04/2014/915620.shtml
  6. ↑ "Tolerance for casualties: Russians’ stoicism gives Vladimir Putin time to work out a response". The Economist. 14 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  7. ↑ Stephen Ennis (2 April 2014). "Dmitry Kiselev: Russia's chief spin doctor". BBC Monitoring. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 "Russia state news agency gets controversial chief". The Huffington Post. December 9, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  9. ↑ http://www.newsru.com/arch/world/29nov2004/kiselev.html
  10. ↑ "Svenskt barnprogram slagträ i rysk stats-tv". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on March 17, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Dmitry Kiselyov: Russian TV presenter draws EU sanctions wrath". Financial Times. Archived from the original on March 22, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  12. ↑ James G. Neuger (21 March 2014). Alan Crawford, ed. "Putin ‘Propagandist’ Added to EU Sanctions Without Oligarchs". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  13. ↑ "Дмитрий Киселев: "Теперь Украина – виртуальная страна, а наш портал настоящий!"" [Dmitry Kiselyov, "Now Ukraine - a virtual country, while our portal is real!"]. Slon.ru. May 15, 2014. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  14. ↑ Yevgeny Kiselyov denied entry into Ukraine by mistake, ban concerns another person - source, Interfax-Ukraine (23 October 2014)
  15. ↑ http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21670061-vladimir-putin-embarks-risky-campaign-prop-up-syrian-regime-and-embarrass-america
  16. ↑ "Tolerance for casualties: Russians’ stoicism gives Vladimir Putin time to work out a response". The Economist. 14 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  17. ↑ Дмитрий Киселев: "В загс я Машу повез на мотоцикле" (in Russian). Archived from the original on November 7, 2010.


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