11:33, 13 July 2018

Most popular Telegram channel denies information about its Dagestani origin

Screenshot of the "Stalingulag" Twitter account. Photo: https://twitter.com/stalingulag

An author of the "Stalingulag" channel in Telegram, whom journalists considered to be a native of Makhachkala, has mocked the conclusions about the authorship of the Telegram channel. The attempts to identify the author were associated with proposals to sell the project.

Journalists have found that StalinGulag blog in Twitter, which appeared before the channel in Telegram, was entitled algorbunov before its renaming. The reporters associated with it several accounts opened on the Internet, e-mail addresses and a Dagestani mobile phone number. The journalists drew a conclusion that an author of the "Stalingulag" channel in Telegram was Alexander Gorbunov, a 26-year-old native of Makhachkala.

According to the reporters, the cost of the "Stalingulag" Telegram channel is estimated at 5 million roubles, providing it maintains the focus and style of its publications. In May 2018, the average number of pageviews for a post in the above Telegram channel reached 300,000.

In connection with the material published by the RBC, Telegram users raised a question concerning "whether it was ethical to spread unconfirmed personal information and put someone else's responsibility on a person," notes the "Stalingulag". According to it, journalists in fact endangered a man, "suggested Sanya from Dagestan," by declaring him to be an author of the Telegram channel.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 13, 2018 at 00:51 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.