MK editor-in-chief Pavel Gusev responded to Dmitry Kiselev’s accusations of lying and criticism of his reaction to being included in the sanctions list in Ukraine. Gusev’s column begins with the words “sexy and scoundrel”

Chief editor of the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” Pavel Gusev (Photo: Pavel Smertin/TASS)

The editor-in-chief of Moskovsky Komsomolets Pavel Gusev published a column in response to criticism from the deputy general director of VGTRK and host of the Vesti Nedeli program Dmitry Kiselev.

Gusev’s column begins with the words “a sexist and a scoundrel who has attached himself to Russian journalism.” In it, the editor-in-chief of MK responds to Kiselev’s statements made in Vesti Nedeli on May 29. In his program, Kiselev called “rubbish” the MK material called “Kiselevskie Shores,” which was released after the analysis of the Rossiya 1 story by the French TV channel Canal+. In addition, the deputy general director of VGTRK criticized Gusev’s reaction to his inclusion in the Ukrainian sanctions list.

“Pavel Gusev was strangely indignant in response to the sanctions announced against him <...>. In a strange way, because sanctions have already been imposed on hundreds of our journalists. But only Pavel Gusev was indignant in response - they say, how can this be, I’m one of my own, a bourgeois, I’m not like everyone else in Russia, one of the few, independent ones,” Kiselev said.

Gusev, in response, addressed him as his “former” acquaintance and called on Kiselev to “take off his eyes.” “To you, wagging your back from one news to another, unable to read and listen, I repeat once again: I am a native Muscovite, but I lived in Ukraine for many years, studied there, learned the Ukrainian language, because my father, an officer in the Soviet army, lived there served. I loved and love Ukraine. But I don’t accept everything that’s happening there now. For me, this regime is incompatible with democracy. Russia has always been my homeland, and I am a patriot of Russia,” Gusev wrote.

The editor-in-chief of “MK” emphasized that he, as the chairman of the Moscow Union of Journalists, “is ashamed that people who cannot read and understand the meaning of what is written are related to our profession.” Gusev emphasized that “in his lifetime” he has seen a lot of politicians, political events, “smart and not very smart people.” “I have also seen many provocateurs. You are not the best of them, because you are stupid and limited. <...> I advise you, Dima, to refrain from meeting with me. This is not a threat. I won’t beat you, but you won’t get any pleasure from communication,” Gusev concluded.

personal sanctions against the heads of a number of Russian media Petro Poroshenko introduced on May 27. A total of 17 people were blacklisted. Among them are General Director of Channel One Konstantin Ernst, General Director of the TASS news agency Sergei Mikhailov, former General Director of the LifeNews TV channel Ashot Gabrelyanov, Chief Editor of the RT (Russia Today) television company Margarita Simonyan, Chief Editor of the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper Pavel Gusev, General Director VGTRK Oleg Dobrodeev, as well as the editor-in-chief of the Russian Reporter Vitaly Leibin.

The editor-in-chief of “MK” called on TV presenter Dmitry Kiselev to “take off your eyes”