Russian Resistance

30,000 Rubles for Rejecting 'МАХ' messenger

The Cost of Defiance

September 10, 2026 22:00
Students in Voronezh refused to fight in Ukraine in the new UAV troops

A court in Kazan fined activist Leysan Sattarova 30,000 rubles for a video exposing how students at a technical college were forced to use the state-run messenger "МАХ". The court ruled the footage was "fake", and the Tatarstan Ministry of Education even claimed that imposing "МАХ" doesn’t violate the Constitution. Apparently, freedom of speech and messenger choice are luxuries Russia can’t afford.

Sattarova presented mountains of evidence, but the authorities’ logic is unshakable: if "МАХ" is forced, it must be for the greater good. After all, how else can they boost "information security" and "educational efficiency"? In short, if you’re against it — you’re against progress.

Now every student knows: rejecting "МАХ" costs 30,000 rubles. And the ministry, as always, stands on the side of the law — the one it invented itself.

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