Champions of terror

Competed at the 2024 BRICS Sports Games in Kazan (russia).
In early 2025, Melnikova received neutral athlete status from the International Gymnastics federation (FIG), which allowed her to return to international competitions.
She competes for the Central Sports Club of the Army (CSKA), which is subordinate to the russian ministry of defense.
CSKA regularly provides support to the military and veterans of the so-called "special military operation" by purchasing and delivering specialized equipment, FPV drones, generators, and humanitarian cargo to the front. It also conducts military-patriotic education for children and youth, organizes patriotic sports events, and promotes international cooperation, including through the World Military Games project. As a result, CSKA athletes competing in international events effectively represent the armed forces of the aggressor state.
In April 2025, she won the primaries of the pro-government political party United russia to run in the elections to the Voronezh City Duma. Later, in July 2025, she announced her withdrawal from the race, explaining that it was impossible to combine an election campaign with preparation for international competitions.
In 2021, she was personally awarded the Order of Friendship by putin for "a great contribution to the development of domestic sports, high sporting achievements, the will to win, resilience, and determination demonstrated at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in 2020 in Tokyo (Japan)".
Also in 2021, she was personally awarded the Medal "For Strengthening the Combat Commonwealth" by Sergei Shoigu, who at that time served as russia’s Minister of Defense.
She is implementing the project Angelina Melnikova’s School of Sports Gymnastics within the framework of the grant competition organized by ANO Image of the Future, with direct support from the government of Voronezh region, russia.
Through her Instagram account, Melnikova publicly expresses support for russia’s war against Ukraine, publishing and sharing pro-war content online, as well as using Z-symbols. In 2023, she took part in raising funds for the daughter of a russian serviceman killed in action. In January 2025, she held a "charity training session for children from families of participants in the so-called "special military operation", and in May 2025 she posted a photo of herself wearing a St. George’s ribbon stylized as the letter Z, thereby promoting russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Participant of the international rhythmic gymnastics tournament in Abu Dhabi (UAE) in 2022.
Participant of the BRICS Sports Games in 2024 in Kazan (russia).
Member of the russian national rhythmic gymnastics team.
He is an ambassador of Zasport, which is the official supplier of equipment for the russian Olympic team.
She systematically participates in pro-kremlin pseudo-patriotic events and concerts.
In 2023, she won and took part in the gala concert of the Heavenly Grace international tournament, which is organized under the auspices of Alina Kabaeva.
In October 2024, she starred in a propaganda video by the Healthy Fatherland movement dedicated to putin's birthday.

He is a member of the russian national gymnastics team.
He holds the position of sports instructor of the 1st category of the sports team at the Central District of the National Guard of the russian federation.
He holds the rank of senior lieutenant.
He represents the Dynamo sports club, which is known for its affiliation with the russian internal affairs and state security agencies.
On the profile photo of his private Instagram account, he posted a photo with putin.
In December 2024, he visited the temporarily occupied Donetsk as part of a sports event at the Dynamo sports school.

She has personal ties to putin, is a member of his inner circle and is considered the mother of his two children.
She supported the annexation of Crimea and russia's war against Ukraine, spreading Kremlin propaganda narratives and symbols of the so-called "SMO". She is the head of the largest russian media conglomerate, National Media Group, which holds leading positions in terms of the share of TV audience of broadcast and pay TV channels.
She organizes and participates in international sports promotional events.
She has repeatedly visited the temporarily occupied Crimea.
Publicly criticizes the decision to ban russian athletes from international competitions.
In 2023, the Heavenly Grace International Association of Rhythmic Gymnastics Clubs, headed by Kabaeva, held an annual international tournament with 46 athletes from 19 countries in Beijing (China). The association's athletes also take part in the annual international competition "Ojag Cup" in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Heads the Alina Kabayeva Charitable Foundation, whose projects include the annual Alina Festival and International Rhythmic Gymnastics Tournament. In 2023, the festival was held in Sochi (russia) with the participation of gymnasts from Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Cuba and Uzbekistan. In addition, the Foundation, under the leadership of Kabayeva, financed the restoration of the medieval Church of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica in the temporarily occupied Feodosia (Crimea).
Also in 2023, Kabaeva supported the international rhythmic gymnastics competition "Grand Prix. Alina Kabayeva Gazprom Champions Cup" was held with the participation of athletes from Belarus, China, Israel, Armenia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Montenegro, Kyrgyzstan, Korea, the UAE, Azerbaijan, Syria, and Slovakia.

She is a member of the russian national rhythmic gymnastics team. In 2024, she announced that she would stop her sports career due to the inability to participate in international competitions.
On March 18, 2022, she and her sister Arina Averina performed at the Luzhniki Stadium at a concert rally in honor of the anniversary of russia's annexation of Crimea, entitled "For Peace without Nazism! For russia! For the President". The sisters were wearing jackets with the letter "Z" made of ribbons in the colors of the russian flag, a symbol of the russian invasion of Ukraine.
Represented by the Central Sports Club of the russian Army (CSKA), which is subordinated to the russian Ministry of Defense.
CSKA provides active assistance to the military and veterans of the so-called "SMO" by purchasing and delivering special equipment, FPV drones, generators and humanitarian supplies to the front, conducts military-patriotic education of children and youth, organizes and conducts sports and patriotic events and promotes international cooperation, in particular within the framework of the World War Games project.
In May 2024, the Averina sisters attended putin's inauguration ceremony.
In 2019, the Averina sisters received personal congratulations from putin on their victory at the World Cup in Baku.

The Averina sisters have received public support from putin, who has spoken out about the bias of judges who allegedly underestimated the Averinas' scores at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and called for the competition records to be made public.
In 2021, Dina Averina was personally awarded the Order of Friendship by putin for her participation in the 2020 Olympic Games.
The Averina sisters head the expert council on sports in the Youth Parliament at the State Duma of the russian federation, and in 2023 they launched the Arina and Dina Averina Cup All-russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Competition in Nizhny Novgorod.
The Association of Student Sports Clubs of russia, co-chaired by Dina Averina, holds its events, including in the occupied Crimea.

Participant in the 2023 CIS Games in Minsk, Belarus.
She is a member of the russian national rhythmic gymnastics team, in 2024 she announced that she was retiring from sports due to the inability to participate in international competitions.
On March 18, 2022, at the Luzhniki Stadium, together with her sister Dina Averina, she performed at a concert rally in honor of the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea by russia called "For Peace without Nazism! For russia! For the President". The sisters were wearing jackets with the letter "Z" made of ribbons in the colors of the russian flag, a symbol of the russian invasion of Ukraine.
Represented by the Central Sports Club of the russian Army (CSKA), which is subordinated to the russian Ministry of Defense.
CSKA provides active assistance to the military and veterans of the so-called "SMO" by purchasing and delivering special equipment, FPV drones, generators and humanitarian supplies to the front, conducts military-patriotic education of children and youth, organizes and conducts sports and patriotic events and promotes international cooperation, in particular within the framework of the World War Games project.
In May 2024, the Averina sisters attended putin's inauguration ceremony.
In 2019, the Averina sisters received personal congratulations from putin on their victory at the World Cup in Baku.
The Averina sisters have received public support from putin, who has spoken out about the bias of judges who allegedly underestimated the Averinas' scores at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and called for the competition records to be made public.
In 2021, Arina Averina was awarded the medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree, for her participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The Averina sisters head the expert council on sports in the Youth Parliament of the State Duma of the russian federation, and in 2023 they launched the Arina and Dina Averina Cup All-russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Competition in Nizhny Novgorod.

Supports and justifies russia's war against Ukraine by spreading Kremlin propaganda narratives. She supports рutin's policies and was included in the list of his proxies in the 2024 elections.
Publicly criticizes the decision to ban russian athletes from international competitions.
He has the rank of colonel. He is the first deputy head of the Central Sports Club of the russian Army (CSKA), which is subordinated to the russian Ministry of Defense.
The CSKA provides active assistance to the military and veterans of the so-called "SMO" by purchasing and delivering special equipment, FPV drones, generators and humanitarian supplies to the frontline, conducts military-patriotic education of children and youth, organizes and conducts sports and patriotic events and promotes international cooperation, in particular within the framework of the World War Games project.
It is one of the founders of the All-russian Children's and Youth Military and Patriotic Public Movement "Yunarmiya", which is one of the main mechanisms of militarization and military training of children and youth in russia and in the TOT of Ukraine.

Supports and justifies russia's war against Ukraine by spreading the Kremlin's propaganda narrative.
She supports putin's policies and was included in the list of his proxies in the 2012 and 2024 elections.
Publicly criticizes the decision to ban russian athletes from international competitions.
In March 2023, by the decision of the International Gymnastics Federation, she was suspended from international competitions for two years for criticizing the judging at the Tokyo Olympics, and in this regard, she declared intentions of participation of russian athletes in international tournaments under the club system.
She is a full holder of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland.
Until May 2022, she was the wife of the sanctioned russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov.

He participated in the International Gymnastics Federation Congress in Turkey in 2022 and in the competition program for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris (France) as a member of the International Gymnastics Federation Executive Committee.
He has publicly refused to condemn the so-called "SMO", criticizes the decision to ban russian athletes from international competitions, as well as the IOC's calls for national Olympic committees to ignore the russian Friendship Games.
As part of his activities in the Public Council under the FSB of russia, he provides social support to russian servicemen and their families, as well as patriotic education of youth, children and youth.
In 2022, he was awarded the Order of Merit for Services to the Fatherland, IV degree, for ensuring the successful training of athletes who achieved high sports achievements at the XXXII Olympic Games and the XVI Paralympic Summer Games 2020 in Tokyo (Japan).

He is a member of the russian Guard and holds the rank of junior lieutenant.
In September 2021, the International Gymnastics Federation named a technical element in the all-around competition in Nagorny's honor.
In 2021, he was awarded the Order of Friendship for his sporting achievements at the 2020 XXXII Olympic Games.
Since 2022, he has been a player of the Sakhalinets media football club. Through the Рhygital Sports Federation, which he controls, he provides support to military personnel of the so-called "SVO" in participating in competitions.
He has repeatedly visited the temporarily occupied Crimea.
Рersonally supports the russian military and their families. In 2022, Nagorny invited his fans to send gifts to help russian soldiers.
He was included in the list of putin's confidants and in the initiative group to nominate putin as a candidate for the 2024 presidential election.
He is a member of the the putin's Team public movement and of the all-russian socio-political movement ‘People's Front for russia’ (under sanctions from the EU, Canada, Switzerland and Ukraine), created at putin's initiative to ‘move russia forward through joint efforts’.
As the Chief of the General Staff of the All-russian Children's and Youth Military and Patriotic Public Movement "Yunarmiya", he is responsible for the re-education, indoctrination and militarization of children in the TOT of Ukraine under the guise of "rehabilitation, recreation and education" in order to disseminate information about the "peacekeeping and humanitarian" goals of the russian federation, trying to create a demonstrably positive image of russia as a "peacekeeping country".
He carries out the so-called "military-patriotic" education of the youth of the TOT of Ukraine and prepares them for service in the armed forces of the russian federation.
The All-russian Children's and Youth Public Movement "Yunarmiya" is a military-patriotic organization and one of the main mechanisms for militarization, mobilization and military training of young people in russia. In addition, regional branches of the Yunarmiya are also located in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Under Nagorny's leadership and direct involvement, Yunarmiya organizes fundraisers and actions in support of the russian military and the so-called "DPR/LPR".

Participant of the 2022 Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha (Qatar).
He is a member of the national gymnastics team of russia.
At the awards ceremony during the World Artistic Gymnastics Cup in Qatar, he wore a uniform with the letter "Z" in support of the military personnel participating in the so-called "military action". The Disciplinary Commission of the International Gymnastics Federation suspended Kulyak from competing for one year for violating the statute, disciplinary and ethical codes, and technical regulations of the federation.
In a subsequent interview, Kulyak said he had no regrets and would "do the same"
In March 2022, he took part in a rally-concert in Luzhniki to mark the anniversary of russia's annexation of Crimea.

She is a member of the russian national gymnastics team.
He represents the Central Sports Club of the russian Army (CSKA), which is subordinated to the Ministry of Defense.
CSKA provides active assistance to the military and veterans of the so-called "SMO" by purchasing and delivering special equipment, FPV drones, generators and humanitarian supplies to the frontline, conducts military-patriotic education of children and youth, organizes and conducts sports and patriotic events and promotes international cooperation, in particular within the framework of the World War Games project.
Thus, CSKA athletes at international competitions actually represent the armed forces of the aggressor state.