“Language of demons” and a broken spine. The surreal trial of the Russian comedian Ostanin accused of “organised” joking

At the second hearing in his trial, the prosecution laid out the full scope of the case against Ostanin in a single session. Witnesses were questioned and five volumes of case materials were read out, effectively compressing what might normally take several hearings into one.

Two comedy sets and a criminal group

According to prosecutors, the criminal case is based on two stand-up shows from early 2025.

The prosecution links this joke to Russia’s war in Ukraine. “The audience is presented with an image of a disabled person as ridiculous and evoking revulsion... in contrast to Ostanin’s own image,” experts found.

The second episode relates to religion. Ostanin performed at the club in front of an audience “of no fewer than five people” and said: “I turned to Jesus and he answered me, imagine that. We sat down, had a few drinks…”. “I brought people some info, and do you know what they did? Well, they crucified me.”

According to the case materials, the performance was recorded by unidentified members of Ostanin’s “organised criminal group”. The video was then edited “at an unknown location” and “under unknown circumstances”, before being uploaded to his YouTube channel. 

An expert examination found that the performance contained mockery, ridicule, desacralisation and a cynical attitude towards Jesus Christ and the Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. According to prosecution, this caused a broad public outcry.

At the hearing, prosecutor Malysheva said Ostanin should be regarded as the head of an “organised criminal group” that prepared jokes offensive to religious believers. Investigators have not yet identified who else belongs to this group. Materials relating to the “unidentified members of Ostanin’s organised criminal group” have been collated into a separate criminal case.

“Language of demons”

Several people recognised as victims in the case testified in court. All described themselves as believers who said they had come across recordings of Ostanin’s performances online, including on VK social network, and felt offended.

One point that provoked particular anger was Ostanin’s remark about Christ’s abs on display while hanging on the cross. One woman told the court that the obscene language used in the religious monologue amounted to “the language of demons”.

Two witnesses said the performance was offensive not only to Christians but also to Muslims.

They also objected to a joke about an “operator of an Orthodox censer drone”. Ostanin told the court that this was a reference to a real job vacancy.

The other witnesses and the pace

The court also questioned comedians who had performed alongside Ostanin at different times. Prosecutors repeatedly asked whether stand-up performers are “warned” in advance about “prohibited subjects”.

“You can’t joke about the authorities, religion or the ‘special military operation’. Those are things that can bring trouble for the club as a whole,” said Dmitry Kim, director of Stand-up Brothers club.
“Are there any sanctions?”
“If someone does that, they’re usually blacklisted and don’t perform for a while.”

After witness questioning concluded, the court decided to proceed to written materials despite the end of the working day. Judge Olesya Mendeleeva read out all five volumes of the case in roughly half an hour. 

The trial will continue on January 27.

—

On March 18, 2025, Moscow’s Investigative Committee reported that Artemiy Ostanin was detained while attempting to cross the Russian border, and a video showed him offering “sincere human apologies” during questioning. On the same day, Belarusian anonymous Telegram channels shared images of him in handcuffs, with one showing a meat grinder around his neck, referencing a monologue about gifts to war victims’ families. Reports from his lawyer and human rights activists later revealed that Ostanin had been beaten during his arrest, suffering multiple injuries including a fractured spine, though Belarusian authorities denied these claims. On March 19, the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow formally arrested him.