Mariana Vishegirskaya
| Mariana Vishegirskaya | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Marianna Podgurskaya |
| Occupation | blogger |
| Known for | pictures of her wounds, after Russia bombarded her maternity hospital, were published around the world |
Mariana Vishegirskaya is a Ukrainian blogger, who had been documenting the progress of her pregnancy, prior to the Russian attack on Ukraine, in 2022.[1]
In March 2022 reports emerged that Russia had targetted a maternity hospital, and that Vishegirskaya was one of injured patients.[1] According to People magazine, prior to her pregnancy Vishegirskaya's blog focussed on reviewing popular beauty products, and she had 75,000 followers.[2]
Russian authorities called her a "crisis actor", and tried to cast doubts on the credibility of her claim that she was injured in the attack.[1] The Russian embassy said her wounds were merely make-up, and that the neo-nazis they claimed had taken over Ukraine had emptied the hospital, in order to turn it into a military barracks, or military headquarters.[3]
Vishegirskaya successfully gave birth to a daughter, Veronika, at another hospital in Mariupol, two days after the attack.[2][4]
On April 2, 2022, the Associated Press published an article in response to an interview with Vishegirskaya, by Russian authorities, after the region where she was fell under Russian control.[5] They reported that, in the Russian interview, Vishegirskaya said the hospital was not hit by artillery, and that the original AP reporters who interviewed her in March had interviewed her in spite of her request not to be interviewed. The Associated Press then defended the truth and integrity of their original reporting.
The BBC News published an article based on a recent interview with Mariana on May 17, 2022.[6] She told the BBC that when she was finally able to connect to the internet, days after she gave birth, she found death threats against both her and her baby.[7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Marianna Podgurskaya, the Instagram star who became the face of Mariupol bombing, has her baby: The beauty blogger is said to have had a baby girl, The Telegraph, 2022-03-11. Retrieved on 2022-03-26.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Aaron Parsley. Ukrainian Injured in Maternity Ward Strike Gives Birth — as Her Influencer Account Is Targeted, People magazine, 2022-03-11. Retrieved on 2022-03-26. “Vishegirskaya is reportedly a beauty blogger and influencer whose Instagram account has more than 75,000 followers.”
- ↑ Henry Holloway. Pregnant blogger gives birth hours after hospital bombing by Russians whose propaganda machine said she FAKED injuries, The Sun, 2022-03-11. Retrieved on 2022-03-26.
- ↑ Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert. Besieged Mariupol 'remains a Ukrainian city' says official, but conditions are worsening for remaining residents, African business insider, 2022-03-20. Retrieved on 2022-03-26. “Mariana Vishegirskaya stands outside a maternity hospital that was damaged by shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. Vishegirskaya survived the shelling and later gave birth to a girl in another hospital in Mariupol.”
- ↑ Sophia Tulp. Ukraine blogger video fuels false info on Mariupol bombing, Associated Press, 2022-04-02. Retrieved on 2022-08-12. mirror
- ↑ Marianna Spring. Marianna Vyshemirsky: 'My picture was used to spread lies about the war', BBC News, 2022-05-17. Retrieved on 2022-08-12. mirror
- ↑ Lee Brown. Pregnant Ukrainian blogger got death threats after Russia accused her of being crisis actor, New York Post, 2022-05-17. Retrieved on 2022-08-12. “But Russian officials accused the beauty blogger of using her makeup skills to fake her injuries, sparking a torrent of hate, she told the BBC in her first interview with a major Western outlet.” mirror