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Sochi bloggers Svetlana Izhilenko and Alisa Kunyashova say they were fired from a local Pyaterochka supermarket after posting a video about grocery price tags rising after Russia’s September elections. The company has not commented, so the reason for their dismissal has not been independently confirmed.
Two workers at a Pyaterochka supermarket in Sochi say they were fired after a video they posted about grocery price increases following Russia’s September elections spread widely online. The company has not commented on their reported dismissals, leaving the reason for the firings unconfirmed.
Svetlana Izhilenko and Alisa Kunyashova, who worked at the local store, posted their first reel on September 21, the day after Russia’s elections ended. In the video, Izhilenko said they had been changing price tags throughout the morning and that many grocery items appeared to cost 20 to 30 rubles more. The reel did not name the supermarket.
The video received 5.7 million views and 180,000 likes, according to Meduza’s report. On October 1, Izhilenko posted a second video saying that she and Kunyashova had been fired. That reel drew 7.6 million views and 470,000 likes, making it more widely viewed than the first, the report said.
Izhilenko argued that the workers were being blamed for a video about prices they did not set. She also said social media users began commenting about the reported firings on posts from Pyaterochka’s official account. The company had not issued a comment on the dismissals at the time of Meduza’s report.
The dispute has drawn attention to the consequences workers may face when public comments about their workplace or its prices gain a large online audience. In this case, the two videos reached millions of views, and the reported firings prompted users to raise the issue directly on the retailer’s social media posts.
The workers’ account links their dismissal to the reel, but that explanation has not been confirmed by the employer. Without a response from Pyaterochka or further details about the employment decisions, it is not possible to establish why the two women were fired or whether the video played a role. The distinction matters: the dismissal is reported by the workers, while its cause remains their claim.
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The Reel Followed September Elections
The first video was posted on September 21, after elections for Russia’s ninth State Duma, which took place from September 18 to 20. Izhilenko connected the timing of the changing price tags to the end of the vote, saying prices had risen after the elections. Her video recorded her account of the changes; it did not provide a broader price survey or independently establish that the election caused prices to increase.
Meduza reported that officials began discussing tax increases immediately after the elections. That timing forms part of the backdrop to the bloggers’ comments, but the available information does not establish a connection between those discussions, the specific price tags in the store, and the workers’ employment status.
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Employer Has Not Explained Dismissals
Pyaterochka has not publicly commented on the reported firings, according to Meduza. The available reporting does not include the company’s account, employment records, or details about any formal explanation given to Izhilenko and Kunyashova.
It also remains unclear whether the workers’ video was the reason for their dismissal. Their claim is based on their account of events; the company has not confirmed it. The video’s statement that many items rose by 20 to 30 rubles is likewise the bloggers’ observation at their store, not a verified estimate of price changes across the retailer or country.
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Company Response Could Clarify Events
The immediate unanswered question is whether Pyaterochka will respond to the women’s claims or explain why their employment ended. A company statement, or further details from the workers about the circumstances and timing of their dismissal, could help clarify whether the viral reel was connected to the decision.
Until more information is available, the firings and their alleged link to the video should be treated as the workers’ account, not a confirmed explanation from the employer. The videos and comments on Pyaterochka’s official social media accounts have made the dispute highly visible, but the public response does not resolve the central question of cause.
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Key Questions
Who says they were fired?
Svetlana Izhilenko and Alisa Kunyashova, two workers at a Pyaterochka store in Sochi, say they were fired. The company has not commented publicly on the reported dismissals.
What was in the viral video?
In the September 21 reel, Izhilenko said the workers had been changing price tags and that many grocery items appeared to cost 20 to 30 rubles more. The video did not identify the store.
How many people watched the videos?
Meduza reported that the first reel received 5.7 million views and 180,000 likes. The October 1 video about the reported firings received 7.6 million views and 470,000 likes.
Has Pyaterochka confirmed why the workers were fired?
No. Meduza reported that the retailer had not commented. The alleged connection between the video and the workers’ dismissal remains unconfirmed by the company.
Source: rss
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