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Dmitry Gordon

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Dmitry Ilyich Gordon (Ukrainian: Дмитро Ілліч Гордон, romanized: Dmytro Illich Hordon; Russian: Дмитрий Ильич Гордон; born 21 October 1967) is a Ukrainian journalist, interviewer and politician. He is also the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Boulevard" (from June 1995), later "Gordon Boulevard". In June 2019, Gordon became the head of the election headquarters of the party Strength and Honor.[2]

Dmitry Gordon
Дмитро Гордон
Gordon in 2018
Gordon in 2018
Born
Dmitry Ilyich Gordon

(1967-10-21) 21 October 1967 (age 57)
Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Occupations
  • Journalist
  • interviewer
  • politician
Years active1991-present
Member of the Kyiv City Council
In office
2014–2016
YouTube information
Channels
LocationKyiv, Ukraine
Genres
  • Interview
  • politics
Subscribers6.49 million[1]
(February 2024)
Total views3.45 billion[1]
(February 2024)
NetworkELLO
100,000 subscribers
1,000,000 subscribers
Last updated: February 2022
Websitegordonua.com
Signature

Biography

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Dmitry was born on the 21st of October 1967 in Kyiv to a Jewish family. His father, Ilya Gordon, was a civil engineer,[3] and his mother, Mina Gordon, was an engineer-economist. Gordon started school at the age of six and finished it at 15.[4] During his school years, he read a lot, was interested in the history of the Revolution, the Civil War and the Eastern Front of the Second World War. He was also keen on theatre, modern music and football. When he was in the fifth grade, he wrote about one hundred letters to famous people asking them to send him their photos with a signature. He got two replies: from Leonid Utyosov and Joseph Kobzon.[4]

In 1988, he graduated from Kyiv Civil Engineering Institute. As he recalls, he was very discontent with his choice of study.[5] In his second year he started to collaborate with the leading Kyiv newspapers. During his years of study he published in the best Ukrainian newspapers such as "Evening Kyiv", "Komsomolskoye Znamya" (literally "The Banner of Komsomol"), "Molodaya Ukraina" (literally "Young Ukraine"), "Sportivnaya Gazeta" (literally "Sports Newspaper"), "Molodaya Gvardiya" (literally "The Young Guard"), "Prapor Komunizmu" (literally "Banner of Communism"), and "Komsomolskaya Pravda" (literally "Komsomol Truth"). After the graduation Gordon worked for the newspapers "Evening Kyiv", "Kievskiye Vedomosti" (literally "Kyiv Bulletin") and "All-Ukraine Vedomosti" (literally "All-Ukraine Bulletin").

Since 1995, he has been editing his own newspaper, a weekly of society columns "Boulevard" (since 2005 "Gordon Boulevard"). Today in Ukraine "Gordon Boulevard" is one of the most popular newspapers with high circulation. The readers of the weekly count more than 2.5 million people. The newspaper is distributed in Russia, the United States, Israel, Spain, Italy and Germany as well.[6]

In June 2019, one month before the July 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, Gordon became the head of the election headquarters of the party Strength and Honor.[2]

Gordon is the father of seven children. His eldest son, Rostislav (born in 1992), is a student at Kyiv Institute of International Relations.[7] His second son, Dmitry, (born in 1995), is a four-time European champion in the "united combat" discipline in the youth age group. He is also a composer of instrumental music and he plays the piano.[8] Since 2012, he is a student of Berklee College of Music in Boston. Elizaveta (born in 1999) and Lev (born in 2001) are schoolchildren. Gordon's wife is Olesia Batsman – the editor of "Shuster Live". With Olesia, they have three daughters: Santa (2012), Alice (2016), Liana (2019).

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in May 2022, a criminal case[9] was opened by the Russian Investigative Committee against Dmitry Gordon, despite him not being a Russian citizen. Russian authorities accused Gordon of dissemination of fake information about the Russian army. Gordon continues taking a stand against Russia throughout its war, proactively fundraising for the Ukraininan military as well as supporting Ukraine during media appearances.[citation needed]

Career

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Dmitry combines his job in the newspaper “Gordon Boulevard” with the publishing of his own books. There have been published more than 39 books up to now, including “The Heroes of Interlunation” in eight volumes. Dmitry is also the author of the TV program «Visiting Dmitry Gordon» (on Ukrainian TV since 2000). More than 500 celebrities were the heroes of the program: poets, writers, artists, directors, public figures, politicians and sportsmen, among them Mikhail Gorbachev, Sergei Khrushchev, Nikolai Amosov, Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Vitaly Korotich, Roman Viktyuk, Viktor Chernomyrdin, Leonid Kravchuk and Nikita Mikhalkov. The interviews are frank talks with famous people.[10] Besides journalism, Dmitry is passionate about modern music. He recorded about 60 songs and released six albums. He made 8 video clips with Valery Leontiev, Alexander Rosenbaum, Tamara Gverdtsiteli, Natalia Mohylevska, Natalia Buchynska and solo.

Persecution in Russia

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On March 21, 2022, the Main Investigative Department of the IC of Russia initiated a criminal case against Dmitry Gordon. He was accused of public calls to unleash an aggressive war, actions aimed at inciting hatred or enmity on the grounds of nationality, and public dissemination of allegedly deliberately false information about the actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.[11] Gordon responded to Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, stating: ”Vladimir Putin, you will not intimidate either Ukraine or me! The criminal here is not me! The Nazi criminal is you! And you will sit in the same tribunal where the Nazis sat!,” he said.[12]

On April 6, 2022, it was announced that the journalist had been included in a list of individuals and organizations deemed by Russia to be involved in extremist activities or terrorism,[13] and on April 28 the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Oleksandr Bastrykin instructed to study and analyze the content of the books written by Gordon.[14] According to the journalist, he was generally surprised to learn that his books were sold in Russia.[15]

It became known on July 19, 2022 that Russia’s police force has added Dmitry Gordon to its wanted list,[16] and two days later a court in Moscow arrested him in absentia.[17] Gordon responded by saying that after Russia's attack on Ukraine and the occupation of Crimea he has been fighting against the Russian Federation in the information field for many years, thus, the decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia did not come as a surprise to him, and added, ”I don’t care about them, they can kiss my ass. They put me on the wanted list… With the same success, I’m putting the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia on the wanted list”.[18]

In January 2024, it became known that a new criminal case had been opened against Gordon in Russia, allegedly for “public calls to terrorism,” and he was again put on the wanted list.[19]

On July 1, 2024, the 2nd Western District Military Court in Moscow sentenced Gordon in absentia to 14 years in prison on all charges.[20][21][22] Judge Roman Kiforenko ruled that Gordon must serve the first three years in prison, with the remainder of the sentence to be served in a general-regime colony.[23] Additionally, Gordon was banned from administering internet resources for three years.[24] The court stated that the sentence would come into effect “after Gordon’s arrest on Russian territory or his extradition to Russia.” During the trial, it was revealed that the case against Gordon was based on three videos he posted on his YouTube channels in 2022. According to the prosecution, in these videos, he allegedly “called for the killings of Putin and Lukashenko” and urged the U.S. to start a nuclear war against Russia. Commenting on the court’s decision, Gordon said that his media platforms are working for Ukraine’s victory in the war. “I thank Russia for such a high recognition of my services to my country. Yes, I have hurt Russia and will continue to do so,” the journalist emphasized.[25]

Reporters Without Borders condemned the Russian court’s verdict against Gordon, calling the trial a “legal farce.” They noted that the Russian authorities aim to intimidate journalists who publish independent information about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.[26]

On September 2, 2022, Gordon was included in Russia’s registry of individuals labeled as “foreign agents.”.[27] Commenting on the Russian Ministry of Justice’s decision, Gordon said, “They’ve completely lost their minds in Moscow. Are they out of their heads? I can’t be a ‘foreign agent,’ I’m not a citizen of the Russian Federation.”.

Gordon stated that he is the only person in Ukraine against whom Russia has taken such a wide range of measures.[28][29] He explained that his online platforms—YouTube channels, social media pages, and the website “GORDON”—have a combined audience of over 10 million people. “For eight years, I have consistently fought against the Kremlin and Putin. My word, or the word of those I invite for interviews, has a huge impact. That’s why I’m enemy number one for Putin and the Kremlin,” he said.

At the end of 2022, Gordon filed a lawsuit against Russia with the European Court of Human Rights.[22] He asked the court to declare his criminal prosecution unjust “for direct, truthful statements about Russia’s aggression against Ukraine”.[30] “If the European Court recognizes violations of the European Convention on Human Rights by Russia, it will essentially confirm that the direct, radical statements of Ukrainians against Russia are justified and permissible from the perspective of international law,” the journalist explained.

FSB assassination plot

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In September 2024, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced the exposure of a spy network linked to an elite unit of Russia’s FSB, which operated in Kyiv and, among other things, was planning to assassinate Gordon.[31][32] According to the security services, the network was coordinated by a former member of the banned Party of Regions. Media reports suggest this refers to Vitaly Hrushevsky, a former MP who served from 2012 to 2014.[33] Hrushevsky and three other suspects were arrested. The SBU released correspondence from the case, in which one of the figures asked for images of Gordon’s house.

The journalist is convinced that the order to kill him was personally given by Putin, as “such actions are never carried out without orders from the top leader”.[34] He emphasized that, because of his journalism, he is one of Russia’s main enemies, but the actions of Russian intelligence will neither intimidate nor stop him.[35] “I stand for truth, my country, and my confidence that the Russians will not win in the end. We are on our land and destined for victory,” Gordon said.

Reporters Without Borders condemned the assassination attempt against Gordon and called for a thorough investigation to identify those responsible for organizing it.[36]

Books

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  • 1999 – "My Soul Suffers Terribly…" Talks with Kashpirovsky.
  • 2003 – "The Heroes of Interlunation". In eight volumes.
  • 2004 – "The Stars of Popular Music".
  • 2004 – "The Stars of Popular Music and Films".
  • 2004 – "The Sports Stars".
  • 2004 – "The Faces of Ukraine".
  • 2004 – "Visiting Dmitry Gordon". In 2 volumes.
  • 2005 – "In Private".
  • 2006 – "Frankly Speaking".
  • 2006 – "A Lifelong Dialogue".
  • 2006 – "Speak Your Mind".
  • 2007 – "Unedited".
  • 2007 – "Têt-à-têt".
  • 2008 – "Berezovsky and Korzhakov. The Kremlin Secrets".
  • 2009 – "Gloss Free".
  • 2009 – "From Sorrow to Joy".
  • 2009 – "The Height of Loneliness".
  • 2010 – "Son for Father".
  • 2010 – "Under the Magnifying Glass".
  • 2010 – "Between the Past and the Future".
  • 2010 – "Viktor Suvorov. The Confession".
  • 2011 – "Naughty Memory".
  • 2012 – "The Moment of Truth".
  • 2012 – "The Distant Close".
  • 2012 – "Ten Hours in London. Berezovsky. Bukowski. Suvoro".
  • 2013 – "The Men's Talk".
  • 2013 – "Frankly Speaking".
  • 2014 – "The Escape for the Soul".
  • 2014 – "The Truth about Russia and Putin".
  • 2014 – "The Light and the Shade".

Discography

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  • 2006 – "There Are Two of Us".
  • 2006 – "The First Time".
  • 2006 – "I Am Smiling at You”
  • 2006 – "Disquiet".
  • 2006 – "Somebody Else’s Wife".

Videoclips

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References

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  1. ^ a b "About Visiting Gordon". YouTube.
  2. ^ a b ""I said to Smeshko:" If you do not go, I'll go ... "- Dmitry Gordon". Ukrayinska Pravda (in Ukrainian). Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  3. ^ Yunakov 2016, p. 312.
  4. ^ a b Пишет и показывает Дмитрий Гордон. (in Russian) Archived January 3, 2013, at archive.today
  5. ^ Official site of Dmitry Gordon Archived June 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Official site of “Gordon Boulevard” (in Russian) Archived July 27, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ (in Russian)Чьи дети учатся в КИМО. Фото. Archived August 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Дмитрий Гордон: Ответ Кобзона стал для меня уроком. (in Russian) Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon charged by Russian Investigative Committee". International Press Institute. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  10. ^ «Це не мої команди, у яких грають легіонери. Я розумію, навіщо вони тут» (in Ukrainian) Archived September 22, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Criminal Case Initiated Against Ukrainian Journalist Dmitry Gordon (in English)
  12. ^ ""The Russian Investigative Committee Opened A Case Against Gordon For "Calls To Unleash An Aggressive War" And Is Going To Put Him On The Wanted List". gordonua.com. March 22, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  13. ^ "Russia lists popular Ukrainian TV presenter as terrorist". report.az. April 6, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  14. ^ "Investigation committee in russia to analyze Dmytro Gordon's books". imi.org.ua. April 28, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  15. ^ Гордон. Конец Путина, Зеленский, Ахметов, Галкин, Караулов, Илларионов, Мураев, Пальчевский, Сабуров on YouTube (in Russian)
  16. ^ "Russia Places Ukrainian Journalist Gordon on Wanted List". themoscowtimes.com. July 19, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  17. ^ "A Russian court arrested journalist Dmitry Gordon in absentia". babel.ua. July 22, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  18. ^ Гордон: Объявляю в розыск МВД России on YouTube (in Russian)
  19. ^ "Two years since the start of the invasion: Russia commits 567 crimes against journalists and the media in Ukraine". imi.org.ua. February 24, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  20. ^ "Russian court sentences Dmytro Gordon to 14 years in prison in absentia". imi.org.ua. July 1, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  21. ^ "Moscow 'Jails' Popular Ukrainian TV Host and Blogger in Absentia". kyivpost.com. July 2, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Russian court sentences Ukrainian journalist in absentia to 14 years in prison". novayagazeta.eu. July 1, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  23. ^ "Украинского журналиста заочно приговорили к 14 годам за призывы к терроризму". kommersant.ru (in Russian). July 1, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  24. ^ "Военный суд в Москве заочно приговорил украинского журналиста Гордона к 14 годам заключения". interfax-russia.ru (in Russian). July 1, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  25. ^ Гордон. Что жаба Орбан привезла Зеленскому, что отдадут Россия и Украина, в Крыму будет жесткач on YouTube (in Russian)
  26. ^ "Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Gordon unjustly sentenced to 14 years in Russian prison". rsf.org. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  27. ^ "Russian Authorities Designate Rock Star Makarevich And Navalny Ally As 'Foreign Agents'". rferl.org. September 3, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  28. ^ “Russia has taken a set of actions against me that have never been taken against any Ukrainian” (in English)
  29. ^ "Дмитро Гордон: Зеленський показав себе чудово – бо не втік". glavcom.ua (in Ukrainian). August 8, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  30. ^ "Гордон подав позов проти Росії до ЄСПЛ". gordonua.com (in Ukrainian). November 16, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  31. ^ "FSB agents preparing sabotage operations, Dmytro Gordon's assassination detained in Kyiv – SBU". imi.org.ua. September 3, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  32. ^ "Russian spy ring neutralized by SBU, journalist Dmytro Gordon targeted". nv.ua. September 3, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  33. ^ "Розкрито імʼя екснардепа, який готував замах на Дмитра Гордона". telegraf.com.ua (in Ukrainian). September 4, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  34. ^ "Дмитро Гордон прокоментував спробу замаху на себе і назвав замовника". tsn.ua (in Ukrainian). September 3, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  35. ^ Гордон: Путин лично отдал приказ о моем физическом устранении on YouTube (in Russian)
  36. ^ Security forces have dismantled a network led by the #FSB in #Russia that tried to assassinate journalist (in English)
  37. ^ Гордон и Могилевская – Зима (Плюшевый мишка) on YouTube
  38. ^ Дмитрий Гордон и Тамара Гвердцители – Скрипка грає on YouTube
  39. ^ Дмитрий Гордон и Александр Розенбаум – "Клетчатый" on YouTube
  40. ^ Дмитрий Гордон – С Новым годом! on YouTube
  41. ^ Дмитрий Гордон и Валерий Леонтьев – "А ми удвох..." on YouTube
  42. ^ Дмитрий Гордон – "Я улыбаюсь тебе" (2005) on YouTube
  43. ^ Дмитрий Гордон – "За Блохина!" on YouTube
  44. ^ Дмитрий Гордон и Наталья Бучинская – Первая любовь on YouTube

Bibliography

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