Russian streamer who posed naked in front of church faces jail

By Edward Era Barbacena

A Russian streamer who posed naked for a photo in front of a church faces jail for “insulting the religious feelings of believers”.

Polina Murugina, 24, is the latest in a string of influencers facing time behind bars for violating a new indecency law.

The streamer faces a fine of up to $4,109 or a year in jail if she’s found guilty of “insulting the religious feelings of believers”.

Polina, who’s tattooed from tip to toe, posed naked outside the Church of Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Moscow, local media reports say.

The picture, which was taken last summer, was only recently reported to police.

The influencer has yet to comment but has closed down her Instagram account where the controversial picture was posted.

It comes as the Kremlin cracks down on people sharing racy posts beside churches or state buildings.

Last year, an influencer couple were handed prison sentences after they staged an X-rated photoshoot close to St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow.

Ruslan Bobiev, from Tajikistan, and his girlfriend Anastasia Chistova caused outrage after a photo appeared with her wearing a police jacket and simulating a sex act as she crouched in front of him.

The cathedral in Red Square, Moscow, is seen as a hugely popular cultural symbol as well as a sacred site by the Russian Orthodox church.

The pair were arrested by the authorities for 10 days and fined 5,000 rubles (£51) with the court also ordering Bobiev – real name Ruslani Talabjon – to be deported.

They were later charged with “insulting religious feelings.”

Bobiev and Chistova were found guilty by Moscow’s Tverskoy district court and both were sentenced to 10 months in a penal colony, according to the state-owned news agency TASS.

Under the law, a maximum of a year’s jail time can be imposed but prosecutors had requested a 10-month sentence.

The law criminalising the insulting of feelings to religious believers was passed in 2013 in the wake of the anti-Kremlin group Pussy Riot’s Punk Prayer performance at the central Moscow cathedral.

Earlier this month, an OnlyFans model allegedly received death threats after video emerged of her flashing her boobs outside the same cathedral.

The woman, who is known to subscribers as Lola Bunny, was widely condemned for her actions forcing the woman to issue an apology.