Blinovskaya Marks 45th Birthday in Prison as Empire Sold Off
Recalling the success story of blogger Yelena Blinovskaya
On 25 August 2026, Yelena Blinovskaya turned 45. The «queen of marathons» is marking her birthday in Women«s Penal Colony No. 1 in the Vladimir Region. Little appears to remain of the blogger»s former life, who just a few years ago could afford a celebration in the Altai Mountains costing 120 million rubles (about $1.3 million) and invite the most famous stars of the Russian show business world.
Blinovskaya often boasted of her friendships with celebrities on social media; the blogger appears here with TV presenter Ksenia Borodina
Her new reality is bankruptcy, multi-million-ruble debts and a prison sentence. Her husband Aleksey is serving in the Ukraine war zone, and their four children live with relatives. In the colony, Blinovskaya works in a sewing workshop, communicates with her family by letter and hopes for parole.
From 22 January 2024 until the verdict on 3 March 2025, Yelena Blinovskaya was held in pre-trial detention
What remains of her business empire, how the «queen of marathons» is living and feeling now, what has become of her family, and when she might be released — in this MSK1.RU report.
Blinovskaya posted this photo in April 2023, a couple of weeks before criminal proceedings began
Why Yelena Blinovskaya was imprisoned
Blinovsky serves in the Ukraine war zone and visits his children and his wife in the colony during leave
Yelena Blinovskaya became famous for her «wish marathons,» where she taught people how to correctly formulate goals and make their dreams come true through the power of thought. She launched her first online course in 2015.
Yelena Blinovskaya marked her 45th birthday in the penal colony
On social media, the blogger regularly posted stories of participants who, after completing the marathons, said they met future partners, got married, bought homes and became mothers.
Over time, the blogger«s popularity grew: her audience expanded, and she began receiving invitations to social events. By then she had moved from her native Yaroslavl to Moscow and became part of the show business world. She mingled with stars — among them Ksenia Borodina, Viktoria Lopyreva, singer Nyusha and others.
Gradually, Blinovskaya expanded her product line. Among the best known:
«Marathon of Destiny» (2017) — about finding one«s path;
«Become — and You Will Receive» (2018) — about personal growth;
«Relationship Marathon» (2019) — about building harmonious relationships;
«About Friendship» (2022) — about social connections;
«Path of Desires» (2022) — a board game about setting and achieving goals.
At the peak of her fame and popularity, in April 2023, a criminal case was opened against Blinovskaya. Investigators accused the blogger of large-scale tax evasion and money laundering. According to the investigation, the blogger used a business-splitting scheme to reduce her tax obligations.
In April 2023, Blinovskaya was detained at the border in the Smolensk Region as she tried to leave Russia. After that, the blogger was first placed under house arrest and then in a pre-trial detention center.
At trial, Blinovskaya fully admitted her guilt. She said she had been working as a psychologist «supporting people.» According to Yelena, she entrusted the sale of information courses and bookkeeping to friends she had hired.
«From the very first day I wrote a confession for all the charges, realizing that if I was being detained, there were grounds for it. My position was sincere then and remains so today,» Blinovskaya said in the courtroom on 3 March 2025.
Her defense asked the court to take into account that she has four minor children and to give her the opportunity to raise them. At the final hearing before the verdict, Blinovskaya herself said her main duty was to be with her children and asked for a deferral of her sentence. Her youngest daughter was five at the time.
On 3 March 2025, the Savyolovsky Court of Moscow sentenced the blogger to five years in a general-regime colony, a fine and a ban on entrepreneurial activity. In October 2025, the Moscow City Court reduced the sentence to 4.5 years. However, the court did not grant Blinovskaya«s request to defer her sentence until her youngest daughter turned 14.
Where Blinovskaya is now and how long she has left
After the verdict, Yelena Blinovskaya remained in pre-trial detention for several more months while her defense appealed. In December 2025, she was transferred to Women«s Penal Colony No. 1 in the Vladimir Region.
Her father, Oleg Ostanin, spoke about the blogger«s life in the colony. According to him, Yelena is in a regular unit of about 60 people.
«The conditions are like in a prison. There are 60 single-tier beds. Wake-up at 5 a.m., lights out at 9 p.m. Washing, exercise, formation, work,» Oleg Ostanin said in a video published on his son Alexander«s social media page.
Blinovskaya keeps in touch with her family through letters. According to her father, a message from the colony can take about a week, and sometimes delivery takes up to a month. Short visits are allowed about once every two months, and long visits once every six months.
According to Ostanin, during the first short visit Blinovskaya was coughing. However, a lawyer later visited her and told the family that she was feeling fine.
In the colony, Yelena works at a sewing enterprise. Telegram channels previously spread information that Blinovskaya earns 6,700 rubles ($84) a month for her work at the factory. However, lawyer Natalya Salnikova, in an interview with RBC, called this information unreliable without specifying how much her client actually earns.
According to the blogger«s father, Oleg Ostanin, Blinovskaya»s term ends in July 2027. The family hopes she can be released earlier. Earlier, Yelena«s lawyer Natalya Salnikova said that the defense planned to seek parole for Blinovskaya. However, as of July 2026, no parole request had been filed. Salnikova told Moscow 24 about this.
Who is caring for the children
Yelena and Aleksey Blinovsky have four children: a 17-year-old son, 15-year-old twins and a 6-year-old daughter. When the «queen of marathons» was detained, her youngest daughter was 3. Aleksey«s parents took custody of the minor children, Yelena»s father Oleg Ostanin said earlier in an interview with Super.
«When possible, I see my grandchildren during holidays or visit them at summer camps. For the children, the situation [with Yelena] is really difficult; they have seen a psychologist. But they are strong kids, they can stand up for themselves,» Oleg Ostanin told journalists in summer 2025.
According to him, the children now live in Yaroslavl. This information is also confirmed by a 76.RU source who worked at a suburban children«s camp where Blinovskaya»s sons stayed in summer 2025.
Where Blinovskaya«s husband is now
Aleksey Blinovsky also became a defendant in a criminal case. He was charged with aiding large-scale tax evasion and laundering money obtained by criminal means. According to the investigation, he helped his wife with a scheme that caused the budget to lose more than 906 million rubles (about $10 million) in taxes in 2019–2021. His case was separated into its own proceedings. In 2024, he signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense and went to the Ukraine war zone, after which the case was suspended.
He returned to Moscow several times, including to attend court hearings in his wife«s case. In August 2025, Aleksey Blinovsky was spotted in the capital — he was in a traffic accident while riding a motorcycle.
In July 2026, Yelena Blinovskaya«s lawyer told LIFE journalists that Aleksey was still in the war zone. According to her, during leave he visits his wife in the colony if the leave coincides with a scheduled visit.
What remains of Blinovskaya«s business empire
Before the criminal case, Yelena Blinovskaya developed more than just «wish marathons.» Her business empire included Blinovskaya.shop stores selling perfume, clothing and home decor featuring the blogger«s initials. However, after the criminal case was opened in 2023, her projects were suspended.
In 2024, Blinovskaya was declared bankrupt, and her property began being sold to pay off debts.
In March 2026, it was the turn of the trademarks. Eight trademarks linked to Blinovskaya were put up for auction, including her personal brand Blinovskaya and the names of her popular projects — «Wish Marathon,» «Destiny Marathon» and «Relationship Marathon.» According to StarHit, at their peak these projects could generate more than a billion rubles a year.
Yelena Blinovskaya«s individual entrepreneurship registration, filed in 2010, was liquidated at the end of 2024 through bankruptcy proceedings. This led to the shutdown of her main online business, including the »wish marathons« and the Blinovskaya.shop online store. The business was officially closed, and the brand was frozen.
Recall that on 31 July 2026, a verdict was handed down in the case of blogger Lerchek. She was found guilty of illegal currency transactions. She was sentenced to 5 years suspended, as well as a fine of 765 million rubles (about $8.4 million). According to the investigation, she, together with her ex-husband Artem Chekalin and business partner Roman Vishnyak, transferred hundreds of millions abroad without indicating the true purpose of the payments. We are publishing all the details of this criminal case in a special feature.
