Comic Vagabond Ostanin May Celebrate His 30th Birthday in Prison 0 92

Comic Artemy Ostanin has been charged with a new offense under the article for "offending the feelings of believers." Previously, a case was opened against him for inciting hatred or enmity due to a joke in which pro-government activists saw mockery of a participant in the war in Ukraine.

The Moscow Prosecutor's Office reported that the indictment has been approved, and the case has already been submitted to the court for consideration on the merits.

It is alleged that on March 7, 2025, Ostanin "publicly performed a humorous presentation containing statements that offend the feelings of believers." The specific statements in question are not specified.

The charge under the second article is related to the comedian's performance on March 15, 2025, during which he joked about legless people begging in the subway: "Well, of course, he stepped on a mine." The Investigative Committee believes that the comedian "made hostile comments towards individuals who have been injured."

Pro-government activists who reported Ostanin believed that "the speech could refer to a serviceman who sustained serious injuries during the special military operation." Ostanin stated that his joke had nothing to do with the military. According to him, he was talking about "professional beggars."

Artemy Ostanin was detained in Belarus at Russia's request in March 2025. Human Rights Council member Eva Merkacheva, citing the comedian's lawyer, reported that Belarusian security forces beat Ostanin. He himself stated that doctors diagnosed him with a fractured vertebra, multiple abrasions and bruises, and lung problems.

Artemy Ostanin attempted to write a postmodern novel and gathered material for a poetry collection, but ultimately burned it. He studied religious studies because he forgot about the existence of the profession of psychology and wanted to write a book on religious studies that would explain complex things in simple language. As a result, he found himself in humor, joined the team of the first book stand-up show for teenagers in Russia, "The Cat of Brodsky," and began acting in films.

The stand-up comedian was born on March 18, 1996, in Yeysk to Roman Frolov and his wife Irina (née Ostanina). In the summer of 2024, the humorist posted a video from his performance where he talked about how he had been absent from Russia for six months, significantly changed his appearance, changed his name and surname, and instead of Artem Frolov became Artemy Ostanin.

In his hometown (which he described as very small, where one of the main attractions is a monument to dumplings), Artemy grew up among punks, lived across from the sea near the "Eden" club, jumped with friends from a transformer booth until one of them was electrocuted, ran to the "Veterok" store for ice cream and with a log for a friend, rested in the shade of a sprawling willow, and spent most of his time outdoors.

He studied at the local school No. 2, which turned out to be the second in his life: during his studies, the schoolboy not only tried his hand at writing but also became interested in intellectual games. Thus, in April 2014, the young man, being the captain of the school team "Resonance," participated in the "Brain Ring" dedicated to electoral law and the electoral process, and was recognized as the most active player there.

"I have a lot of problems with my appearance: I have 33% Belarusians, 33% Ukrainians, and 33% Russians in my family, so it's unclear why I look like a Caucasian. I come from a small town in Kuban, and I have Cossack blood. How to identify a Cossack? They are taught two things from childhood — alcohol and black soil. To give you an idea of how much this is in me: I quit drinking at 14, but it lasted for 10 years," Ostanin said in his stand-up show.

After school, the graduate moved to Vladivostok and linked his biography with the Far Eastern Federal University. Later, the young man tried to study in graduate school but ended up with neither a legal nor a philosophical education.

In his first concert "21 Grams," recorded on September 21, 2022, and posted in December of the same year on his YouTube channel, the comic, religious scholar, and simple vagabond "tried to find the weight of his soul, but there was not a penny for it." There he talked about his education and military specialty (communications operator, computer operator), first relationships, endless job search, passion for alcohol, and the persistent depression he has had since he was 13, which he refers to as his daughter.

Then the humorist shared "Stand-Up of a Professional Unemployed" and a story about "Life in the Style of Art House," where he confessed that he had managed to be a sales manager for coffee machines and a model for adult diapers, worked at "Russian Post," sold New Year's gifts, and got into movies. His first role was a fan of "Zenit." In addition, the young man appeared in a film by Sarik Andreasyan — "such a director that even Danila Kozlovsky has never starred in."