The administrative case was opened over an interview Grebenshchikov gave to Meduza in April 2026. The fine was reported by a correspondent for Ostorozhno, Novosti and by the press service of the Moscow courts.
Grebenshchikov, leader of the bands Akvarium and BG+, is one of Russia's best-known rock musicians. He left the country in 2020 and now lives in the United Kingdom, where he continues to perform. Shortly before the interview was published, it emerged that the musician had received British citizenship.
In June 2023, the Justice Ministry designated Grebenshchikov an "foreign agent." The ministry said at the time that he had spoken out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, performed concerts abroad and received support from foreign sources.
This is not the musician's first fine. In the fall of 2025, a court in St. Petersburg fined him 40,000 rubles for violating the rules governing "foreign agent" activity, over a publication on the YouTube channel "Akvarium | BG+" that lacked the required labeling. According to Ekho, he had also previously been fined under the article on "discrediting the army."