Alina Kabaeva
Yesterday, a new US sanctions list was published. It included the Olympic champion in rhythmic gymnastics, and now the chairman of the board of directors of the National Media Group Alina Kabaeva, as well as six Russian billionaires, including the founder of EuroChem Andrey Melnichenko, the former member of the board of directors of the metallurgical company TMK Dmitry Pumpyansky and the chairman of the board directors of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works and the president of the Metallurg hockey club Viktor Rashnikov. Sanctions against Kabaeva in a press release from the US Treasury justified her “close relationship” with Vladimir Putin.
The sanctions list also included Natalya Popova, Deputy Director General of Innopraktika (Katerina Tikhonova, who is called the daughter of Vladimir Putin, heads Innopraktika). The explanations of the US Department of the Treasury say that Popova was on the list for her relationship with the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev. Here is how Popova's appearance on the sanctions lists was commented on by the anonymous telegram channel “Heroine of Tatler”:
In the new sanctions list, between Melnichenko and Pumpyansky, a sweet girl Natalya Popova wormed her way. Deputy general director of Innopraktika, owner of long tattooed legs and nothing less than a “popularizer of science”. The popularizer, however, is not alien to simple girlish joys such as buying the cover of the Cypriot L'Officiel (it is strange that it is not a victory in some leftist beauty contest). Why such a cutie and under sanctions? Well, because Natalya Popova — civil wife of the head of the RDIF Kirill Dmitriev. Although the heroine believes that such bad-tasting people should be punished, she still sympathizes with Natalya like a woman.
Natalia Popova
Popova is also an ombudsman in the field of protecting the rights of high-tech leading companies. In March of this year, she spoke about the need to reduce the share of imports in this area.
Ideally, it makes sense to reduce the share of imports in high-tech to 30—50%,
— she said in an interview with TASS.
Popova graduated from the Financial Academy under the Government of the Russian Federation and the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Regional Studies of Lomonosov Moscow State University. She also works as a TV presenter for a number of Innopraktika media projects, including the House of Scientists and Science programs.
