A folklorist from Khanty-Mansiysk, a city in Western Siberia, was fined 120,000 roubles (approximately US$1,320) over donations to the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK).

The Khanty-Mansiysk District Court has fined folklorist and bard Valery Ledkov, who was accused of financing the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), 120,000 roubles (approximately US$1,320). This was reported by his lawyer, Pavel Rusnakov.

The prosecution had requested a four-year prison sentence for Ledkov.

The 59-year-old Ledkov is being prosecuted under the article on financing extremist activity (Part 1, Article 282.3 of the Russian Criminal Code). According to law enforcement, he made six donations to FBK after the organisation was declared “extremist” in Russia.

The first payment, 300 roubles, was made on 5 August 2021. After that, investigators claim that Ledkov set up a monthly payment and, by 5 February 2022, had sent the organisation another 1,800 roubles.

The criminal case was opened on 24 December 2024, with the first 300-rouble donation to FBK being the trigger. News of the new criminal case over further donations—amounting to 1,800 roubles—emerged on 1 April. The two cases were merged into a single proceeding.

Until the verdict, Ledkov was under house arrest.

• In May, Ledkov’s son Konstantin was sentenced to five years and six months in a penal colony for repeated propaganda of Nazi symbols (Part 1, Article 282.4 of the Russian Criminal Code), repeated “discrediting” of the military (Part 1, Article 280.3), and incitement to activities against state security (subparagraph “v,” Part 2, Article 280.4).
• OVD-Info covered the story of the persecution of Konstantin and Valery Ledkov in this piece.