By Bond Robertson 
What was meant to be a traditional decorative element for a local sports festival, has ended in harsh criticism of local authorities in the village of Agapovka in Russia.
Russian authorities were to graffiti the Snow Maiden, a fictional character in the Russian Christmas tradition.
In the end, the woman's face turned out to be American porn star Sasha Grey.
– big mistake
This move was met with severe criticism on Russian social media.
– Hanging a banner with a picture of an American woman on it “family year” – attpåtil A person with a questionable reputation … Big mistake, writes a user on social media VKontakte.
PORN STAR: The face of the traditional Russian character belongs to the American porn actress Sasha Gray. Her images have been misused several times in Russian propaganda. Photo: Blair Rowley/Invision for A24/AP
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It was President Vladimir Putin who declared 2024 the “Year of the Family” last November – in an attempt to promote what he described as “traditional Russian values.”
exactly This is what experts describe as a rhetorical weaponas a contradiction with so-called “Western values” that is regularly harshly criticized in Russian state media.
This case was first mentioned on local news radio MediaLime Agapovka on VKontakte.
– Found on the Internet
The Russian authorities also commented on the error in official channels. From which Kremlin-controlled TASS news agency Explains the following to a local official:
– The employee responsible for the sign found the image on the Internet. The employee searched for a girl wearing a yarn dress that fit the aesthetic. The person says:
– None of the employees could understand that this is the picture.
to Medialaim Agabovka He assures an employee of the village administration that it was all just an accident:
-No one looks at this kind of art. Not us, cultural workers nor elected officials.
New error
But it won't be that simple.
According to independent Russian news outlet 7X7, the graffiti was replaced with the face of a new woman, who authorities claimed was a resident of the village.
Replaced: The local authorities replaced Gray with this face, which they claimed was a local girl. However, this face has also been recognized as another face. Photo: Media Lyme Agapovka / VKontakte
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However, the woman was identified as Ukrainian model Valeria Gaidukevich by the Russian Telegram-based news outlet. Budjom.
Later, local media published photos and videos showing the graffiti being completely torn down.
Not the first time
American porn star Sasha Gray is a regular porn star in Russia and is also involved in war propaganda. Her photos and rumors have been the subject of Russian propaganda on repeated occasions.
In 2022, her image was used in a recruitment campaign urging Russians to fight in Ukraine.
Gray's face was photoshopped onto an image of a woman wearing a Russian military uniform, and was pinned on banners in Russia.
Gray, who has spoken publicly about his support for Ukraine for more than a decade, didn't like that. She objected on Twitter, calling it “another weak attempt to stir up hatred and contradictions.”
According to US news site Vice News, Gray has publicly supported Ukraine since pro-European protesters took to the streets of Kiev in 2013.
In 2015, rumors began to spread that Sasha Gray was murdered in Ukraine. According to Vice News, Gray's Russian fans spread the rumors on social media — and even then Gray spoke up: