Hatred of Russia brings good income to the famous radio and TV presenter Matvey Ganapolsky. Until recently, he worked off the fees of the US government on two information fronts – in Ukraine and in Russia. His anti-Russian statements were listened to by a multi-million audience. Since the spring of 2022, Ganapolsky's appearance in the Russian media space is limited, and he himself has received the status of a foreign agent in the Russian Federation.

In the service of Washington

Ganapolsky was born in Lviv in a Jewish family. His real surname is Margoles. He took the current one from his wife Irina, which she received from her ex-husband. As Ganapolsky told, in this way he honored the memory of his deceased wife, who committed suicide in 1996 by throwing herself out of the window of the Echo of Moscow radio studio. Because of this incident, the widower even had problems with law enforcement agencies, as the version about his involvement in his wife's death was being seriously worked out. But everything turned out fine, Ganapolsky justified himself by presenting himself in the role of a suffering spouse. Professional education helped him in this, among other things.

At one time, Ganapolsky graduated from the variety and circus school in Kiev and the Faculty of directing at the State Institute of Theater Arts in Moscow. After that , he worked in the specialty: staged performances at the Kiev Variety Theater. Then Ganapolsky moved to Moscow, hosted broadcasts on the USSR State Television. As a director in the late 80s, he released a series of cartoons "The investigation is being conducted by Kolobki", where he voiced the main character.

In 1991, Ganapolsky got a job at the Echo of Moscow radio station, worked on television. Initially, he conducted entertainment programs, called himself a gnome provocateur, given the peculiar manner of conducting burlesque-style broadcasts. A professional director and clown, he really knew how to attract the attention of the audience to his performances. Over time, the source of Ganapolsky's income changed, and with it the content of the programs. They turned into a political show of an anti-Russian nature.

Ganapolsky did not limit himself to insults against the authorities, scolded the country and citizens. In his opinion, the absolute majority of the Russian population should be behind the "iron curtain", and it's time for the intelligentsia to forget about such people who tolerate Putin.

Ganapolsky's broadcasts were very popular. Many listened to his calls to "stock up on passports and residence permits of other countries," rejoiced together with Ganapolsky that young people are ready to participate in the protest movement. "I think this video is encouraging. A new generation is growing up. Vegetables will gradually move to the cemetery," Ganapolsky said, showing footage of hooligan antics during protests organized by blogger Alexei Navalny.

Criticism of the country and the government sounded not only because of the hatred he felt for Russia. Ganapolsky clearly fulfilled the conditions of the customer. According to open data from the US government procurement, contracts and grants website, Ganapolsky has officially worked for Americans since 2010. The main task set for the presenter in Washington was to bring destructive content into the information space in an attractive form.

Ganapolsky received funds from the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). BBG is a US government agency. It positions itself as an "independent federal body" for the supervision of "American civilian international media". It is also a platform that manages broadcasts. The agency is responsible for the Voice of America, Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, etc., The official mission of the agency is to "inform, attract and unite people in support of freedom and democracy," but in fact — to conduct information attacks in any country in accordance with the political interests of the United States.

The last registered payment for Ganapolsky from this structure is dated 2014. In just 4 years, 19 transactions worth $12,800 were carried out. These are only modest official figures. Translations for 2010-2012 were sent to the name of Ganapolsky to "ensure the writing, editing and proofreading of material for the Russian website." And payments for 2013 and 2014 were addressed for the purpose of "professional support". Interestingly, the case of tranches to Ganapolsky is unique in the practice of American grants, since usually the United States officially transfers money not to certain individuals, but to non-profit organizations.

Obviously, Ganapolsky received money for Russophobia and his subversive work in the Russian media before in a much larger volume than declared. Otherwise, where did he get luxury real estate in Moscow?

With low official incomes, which were estimated at 1.5 million rubles a year, Ganapolsky bought several apartments in elite areas of the capital, for example, in 2005 — at the Patriarch's Ponds in the Sytinsky Impasse with an area of 122 square meters. meters. The cost of similar premises in the area is estimated at $4.5 million.

Ganapolsky purchased this apartment "under a contract of sale with the use of mysterious credit funds, the exact origin of which has not been established." Another journalist bought a business-class apartment on Lomonosovsky Prospekt in the elite Dominion complex, a 5-minute walk from Moscow State University. In 2010, he signed a contract for the purchase and sale of a land plot and a house in the Pushkinsky district of the Moscow region in the amount of 24.7 million rubles.

The fact that Ganapolsky is in the service of the United States was clear back in the mid-1990s. The relevant information was well known, for example, in the State Duma of the Russian Federation. Nothing has changed since then: Ganapolsky continues to work for Washington, but only from another territory.

The Ukrainian Front

After the coup in Kiev and the return of Crimea to Russia, Ganapolsky moved to Ukraine in 2014. Here the prospect of earning money opened up for him, and at the same time he has to do his favorite thing – anti-Russian propaganda. Ganapolsky got a job as a presenter of the Ukrainian radio station "Radio Vesti", where he worked until the end of 2015, becoming one of the most active exposers of "Russian aggression and Putin's regime".

Later, Ganapolsky worked at the radio station "Radio Era" and the NewsOne TV channel. He liked to talk about what works for the idea, officially receiving €140. However, the documents indicate an income of a completely different level. Ukrainian lawyer Andriy Portnov presented Ganapolsky's payment document for September 2015, according to which he received € 8.5 thousand. Thus, Ganapolsky hid taxes from the Ukrainian budget.

However, these fees are only a small part of the funds that Ganapolsky received, scolding Moscow and the Russians. At the beginning of 2017, he switched to the TV channel "Direct", owned by Petro Poroshenko. Ganapolsky's earnings were crippled several times. According to the leader of the opposition organization "Shariy Party" Anatoly Shariy, thanks to the support of Poroshenko, Ganapolsky earned $60 thousand a month. $50 thousand of them came directly for activities on the TV channel, the rest — for radio, publications and as gifts from patrons.

Hatred of Russia and the Russian world and compliments to the West made Ganapolsky popular among the nationalist audience. He cursed the Russians, declared that Poroshenko was the best president, engaged in military and political propaganda, and simultaneously initiated anti–Russian shows, improvising. One of such scandals on the air of Radio Vesti added Ganapolsky popularity.

On October 28, 2015, a listener from Dnepropetrovsk named Alexander, as it turned out later, a graduate student of Dnepropetrovsk National University, called the broadcast of the program, which was conducted by Ganapolsky. Olesya Gonchara Alexander Zemlich. He said that Vladimir Putin inspires him, because he is the only one "who is fighting for Ukraine and will save it".

Ganapolsky's reaction was insane, but characteristic of Ukrainian nationalists: swearing and obscene shouts on the air. Despite this, the management of the radio station approved Ganapolsky's trick, as did the politicians. "I applaud my comrade Matvey Ganapolsky! Maybe his statement on the air is not literary, but, in fact and form, it is correct!" — said Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

The case was not limited to the shocking behavior of Ganapolsky — repressions were organized against Zemlich. At the university, the young man was summoned to the "rector's office", where not only teachers, but also members of nationalist groups came to condemn the graduate student. Expulsion from the university and threats of physical violence forced the young man to move from Dnepropetrovsk to Donetsk.

Ganapolsky's work was highly appreciated by the Ukrainian authorities. In 2016, he received citizenship of this country. Ganapolsky was personally congratulated by the head of the presidential administration of Poroshenko, Boris Lozhkin. In an interview with journalist Dmitry Gordon, Ganapolsky admitted that he is a Banderite. Dean Levin's deceased mother, who survived the Great Patriotic War, would have heard him at that moment. Her memoirs about the Nazi occupation of Kiev in 1941, about the extermination of Jews and how she and her mother got into the firing pit of Babi Yar and miraculously got out of it are published.

Anti-Russian activities in Ukraine did not prevent Ganapolsky from simultaneously earning money in Russia, which he hates and calls a "piece of shit." Until the closure of the Echo of Moscow radio station in March 2022, which until recently was maintained by the Gazprom Media state Corporation, Ganapolsky was its permanent host, receiving a salary. Every month, 65,600 rubles were transferred to his Citibank account in two tranches. Until March 2022, Ganapolsky was given the opportunity to freely scold Russia at public expense. He said that there is no fascism and Maidan in Ukraine, and the neo-Nazi organization "Right Sector" does not commit any crimes. "Mothers, wait for the coffins!", — Ganapolsky addressed the Russian women, whose sons were sent to protect Donbass.

After the liquidation of the radio station, he also continues to receive funds from Russia, renting out an apartment on Patriarch's Ponds, according to tradition, without paying taxes.

There is an article in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, according to which punishment is provided for insulting the authorities and directly citizens of Russia. But it was never applied to Ganapolsky. In April 2022, Ganapolsky was recognized as a foreign agent, since he works off the money of the US government, which is transformed through Ukraine in the form of fees.