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Two bloggers from Sochi say they were fired from a Pyaterochka store after posting a video about grocery price tags rising after Russia’s September elections. Their first reel drew 5.7 million views, and the follow-up in which one said they had been fired drew 7.6 million. Pyaterochka has not publicly commented, and the workers’ account has not been independently confirmed in the report.
Two bloggers who worked at a Pyaterochka supermarket in Sochi say they were fired after sharing a video about grocery price increases in the days following Russia’s September elections. Their claim has drawn wider attention through a follow-up reel, but Pyaterochka has not commented on the reported dismissals.
Svetlana Izhilenko and Alisa Kunyashova posted the first reel on September 21, a day after the three-day voting period ended. In the video, Izhilenko said the pair had spent the morning changing price tags and were shocked that nearly all groceries had become 20–30 rubles more expensive. She did not name the store in the clip.
The first video received 5.7 million views and 180,000 likes, according to the report. In a second reel posted October 1, Izhilenko said she and Kunyashova had been fired. That video drew 7.6 million views and 470,000 likes. Users also began commenting about the reported firings on posts from the retailer’s official Instagram account.
Izhilenko linked the alleged dismissals to concern about reputational damage, saying the company feared that a blogger could harm its image. That explanation is her account of the company’s motive; the report does not cite a statement from Pyaterochka or provide independent confirmation of the reason for the firings.
The episode has put a local employment dispute into public view because the workers’ videos reached millions of viewers and prompted comments on the company’s own social media posts. Their account also connects the alleged firings to public discussion of everyday costs immediately after a national election.
For readers, the distinction between the workers’ claims and what the company has confirmed is important. The videos document what Izhilenko said about price changes and her report of the firings; they do not, on their own, establish why the workers lost their jobs or whether the price changes applied across the store’s full range of products.
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Price Video Followed September Vote
The elections for Russia’s ninth State Duma took place from September 18 to 20. The workers posted their video the following day, describing price-tag changes they said they were handling at work. The clip did not identify Pyaterochka or give a broader price survey.
Meduza’s report says officials began discussing tax increases immediately after the elections. It does not establish that any specific tax measure caused the price increases described in the reel. The reported events therefore place the workers’ observation alongside post-election economic discussion, without proving a direct connection between them.
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Retailer Has Not Addressed Dismissals
Pyaterochka has not commented on the reported firings, according to the report. It is not clear when the workers’ employment ended, what explanation—if any—they were given, or whether they have challenged the decision.
The report also does not independently verify the workers’ employment status, the specific price changes they described, or Izhilenko’s explanation of the company’s motive. The 20–30-ruble figure comes from her reel; no product list, comparison period, or store-wide pricing data is provided.
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Company Response Could Clarify Claims
The next significant development would be a public response from Pyaterochka addressing whether Izhilenko and Kunyashova were dismissed and, if so, why. Further statements from the workers or documentation about their employment could also clarify the account.
For now, the report establishes that the two bloggers made the claims in widely viewed videos and that the retailer had not responded publicly. No company explanation, formal complaint, or further action is reported, so the circumstances remain unresolved.
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Key Questions
Who says they were fired?
Sochi bloggers Svetlana Izhilenko and Alisa Kunyashova say they were fired from a local Pyaterochka store. The report does not provide independent confirmation from the retailer.
What was in the viral reel?
The September 21 video showed the workers discussing price-tag changes. Izhilenko said almost all groceries cost 20–30 rubles more; the clip did not name the store.
How widely were the videos viewed?
The first reel had 5.7 million views and 180,000 likes. The October 1 follow-up, in which Izhilenko said the pair had been fired, had 7.6 million views and 470,000 likes, according to the report.
Has Pyaterochka explained the reported firings?
No. Pyaterochka had not commented on the firings in the report, leaving the reason for the alleged dismissals unclear.
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