On Wednesday, Russian law enforcement officials initiated criminal proceedings against culinary historian Pavel Syutkin for allegedly disseminating “false information” regarding the Russian military.
The 60-year-old Syutkin is accused of sharing what authorities classify as “fakes” about the conflict in Ukraine through his Telegram channel “Russian Cuisine: A History,” which has more than 3,400 followers, according to a statement from the Moscow division of Russia’s Investigative Committee.
Relatives of Syutkin claim that the charges stem from his posts concerning Russian war crimes against civilians in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, during the early stages of the large-scale invasion.
Moscow has consistently denied the occurrence of war crimes in Bucha and has accused Kyiv of fabricating evidence. This assertion has been challenged by numerous independent fact-checkers and news organizations.
Syutkin was summoned for questioning at the Moscow office of the Investigative Committee, where it was anticipated that he would face formal charges and be held in pre-trial detention later that same day.
Back in June, authorities searched his residence, confiscating his electronic devices.
Family members of Syutkin suspect that the criminal case against him may have been triggered by someone informally reporting his activities to the authorities. If found guilty, he could face a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
Syutkin has authored several books on the histories of Russian and Soviet cuisine and has hosted programs on national television and radio focusing on food history. In 2015, he served as an official representative for Russia at the World Expo in Milan.
He and his wife contributed a weekly cooking column to The Moscow Times until the Russian government designated the outlet as “undesirable” in July 2024.
In a video filmed at the Investigative Committee office and shared with The Moscow Times, Syutkin expressed his disagreement with the accusations leveled against him.
“Any honest writer, journalist, or historian in Russia must always be prepared for imprisonment,” he remarked.
