Historian of Russian cuisine Pavel Syutkin sentenced to six years in prison over antiwar statement
The Zyuzinsky District Court in Moscow has sentenced Pavel Syutkin, a 61-year-old writer and historian of Russian cuisine, to six years in prison on charges of spreading “fakes” about the army, the independent Russian news outlet Mediazona reported.
A 61-year-old Russian historian and writer, Pavel Syutkin, has been sentenced to six years in prison by the Zyuzinsky District Court in Moscow. The court found him guilty of spreading "fakes" about the army, according to the independent news outlet Mediazona. The trial was held in secret, and prosecutors had requested an eight-year sentence.
Syutkin was arrested in October 2025, following his April 19, 2022, post on his Telegram channel criticizing the Russian military's actions in Ukraine. The post compared Kyiv's bombing to Hitler's wartime atrocities, specifically mentioning Babi Yar and the Bucha massacre, which resulted in the deaths of over 200 civilians, including women, the elderly, and children.
Z activists publicly denounced Syutkin in response to his comments. Syutkin maintains his innocence, stating that his case is political and that he is punished for his antiwar stance. He and his wife, Olga Syutkina, have co-authored several books on Russian and Soviet cuisine and gastronomy. Prior to his arrest, Syutkin was a frequent guest expert on television and radio cooking programs.
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