Fontanka in 2016: From Prigozhin to Flaming Curd
In May 2016, the most popular video on Fontanka«s YouTube channel was a report on the detention of businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin»s car. A black BMW with «OSA» license plates ignored law enforcement demands, and the chase was accompanied by sirens. The video, shot by senior referent of the St. Petersburg FSB Alexei Chepizhko, garnered 24 million views.
Prigozhin«s bodyguard Sergei Plashchenko tried to interfere with the filming and subsequently received a two-year suspended sentence with a three-year probation period for using violence against a government representative. Simultaneously, Fontanka published investigations into Prigozhin»s companies« multi-billion contracts with the Ministry of Defense and the businessman»s ties to the Wagner private military company (PMC), as well as reported on surveillance of journalists and DDoS attacks on the publication«s website.
Burning Cottage Cheese by Venera Galeeva
In June 2016, journalist Venera Galeeva checked a reader«s complaint about the quality of cottage cheese that ignited when heated. The purchased samples did indeed burn, which caused public resonance. Further checks of six samples showed a complete absence of dairy fat.
Journalists uncovered violations in the certification system by registering their own fictitious cottage cheese product. In response, Rosakkreditatsiya threatened Fontanka with a fine of 300,000 rubles (approximately $3,300 at current rates). Galeeva continued to educate the audience by releasing videos on everyday topics, such as safe falling on ice.
School Backpack from a Chimney
In September 2016, a school backpack of Leningrad third-grader Yura Kapustin was found in the chimney of a house on Oranienbaumskaya Street. Inside, a diary and notebooks from the 1939-1940 academic year were preserved, where the boy received mostly mediocre grades. Yura«s fate remained unknown, and the find was transferred to the Museum of the History of St. Petersburg.
Homeless Guide Vyacheslav Rassner
The story of homeless Vyacheslav Rassner, who became a guide, attracted attention in 2016. With the help of volunteers from «Nochlezhka» (a homeless shelter), he conducted unusual walks around the city, but over time, the activity faded away. The last reviews of the tours date back to 2020.
Historical Parallels by Lev Lurie
Throughout 2016, historian Lev Lurie, together with Alexander Malich, released the project «Historical Rhyme», drawing parallels between the past and present. «Russian history is remarkable in that very little changes since the time of Ivan III,» Lurie noted. The most popular episodes were about the romance of Nicholas II and Matilda Kshesinskaya (184,000 views), the stagnation of 1986 (70,000 views), and the changes of 1926 (57,000 views).
Musical Guests and Events
In the musical sphere, guests of Fontanka included Svetlana Surganova, Vadim Samoilov, and the band Shortparis. The editorial team broadcast the Depeche Mode press conference announcing a world tour. Animator Konstantin Bronzit visited the studio before the Oscar ceremony, where his work «We Can»t Live Without Cosmos« was nominated. In 2026, Bronzit is again vying for the award for the short film »Three Sisters«.
