The Russian authorities created “Integration” of pro-government experts

The Administration of the President of Russia (AP) asks the pro-government mass media to take comments from experts through ANO “Integratsiya”. This is already the 15th propaganda structure of the Kremlin, the Kremlin Leaks project, prepared by journalists from ten European publications, found out.

According to several employees of the pro-Kremlin media, an “Integration” employee is attached to each media outlet, to whom you can send the topic of the text and specific questions. In response, the written comment of the “public opinion leader” with whom “Integration” works will come.

Interlocutors of journalists from pro-government media say that this is “convenient”, but it also allows AP to control the media even more deeply. Under normal circumstances, experts can share “insider” information with journalists to understand the situation. “Of course, it will not be published, but the journalists themselves can start to think, they will reflect. It is unlikely that it is in the interests of the superiors,” says the interlocutor of the journalists.

Judging by the documents obtained by journalists as a result of a leak from AP, “Integration” was established in May 2022. It is controlled by the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, financed by companies close to the authorities, and headed by Gleb Shagun. Previously, he was the general director of RBC-TV, worked in the VID television company and in the government of the annexed Sevastopol. Local journalists called him the governor’s “fucking PR guy”.

“Integratsiya” not only promotes pro-government public opinion leaders in mass media, but also engages in their training and financing – from teachers to pop stars.

In addition, “Integratsiya” created an agitation brigade to speak to the military in order to “raise their fighting spirit.” Among the participants of the agitation brigade are actors Sergey Bezrukov, Mikhail Porechenkov and Sergey Garmash, musicians Sergey Galanin and Denis Maidanov, comedian Yevgeny Petrosyan and chess player Sergey Karyakin.

“Integratsiya” also develops pro-Kremlin telegram channels and monitors political sentiments and electoral preferences of employees and students in universities and other institutions of the Ministry of Education and Science.

In total, the Russian authorities finance 15 autonomous non-profit organizations (ANO), including “Integration”, “Centre for the Development of Cultural Initiatives” and “World Youth Festival”, according to the leaked documents. All of them were created by people close to the authorities, and in one way or another are involved in propaganda. In 2023, the structures received 59 billion rubles from the Russian budget, write journalists who studied AP documents.