Anatolii Shariy: fakes, money laundering and pedophilia accusations

Behind the facade of the “alternative thinker” Anatolii Shariy are criminal cases in Ukraine, Lithuania and the Netherlands. His earnings are financial schemes and hundreds of thousands of euros from dubious sources. Shariy’s own sister accused him of pedophilia. And his political project — “Shariy’s Party” — is directly linked to pro-Russian structures. Despite this, the audience of Shariy’s Youtube channel has already reached 3.3 million subscribers. Only in June 2025 did Anatolii Shariy receive 15 years in prison for high treason, so far in absentia.

Anatoliy Shariy in journalism

Anatolii Shariy began his career in the 2000s, writing for lifestyle and entertainment outlets like Natalie, Edinstvennaya, Moskovsky Komsomolets, From-UA, Highway, and School of Life. From 2008 to 2012, he headed the investigative department at Obozrevatel, where he started building his image as a system critic.

He rose to prominence after publishing the 2009 series “Public Orphanage” (original title: Публичный детский дом), which targeted the Perlynka orphanage in Odesa (1, 2, 3). A year later, the orphanage’s parent charity, Foundation “K“, sued Shariy for defamation and won. He was ordered to pay 1,000 UAH in damages.

In 2021, Shariy faced another lawsuit, this time from Serhii Filimonov (youth movement “Honor”, former “National Corps” leader, now commander of the “Da Vinci Wolves” battalion). As of June 2025, Shariy’s website hosted 11 articles about Filimonov. The lawsuit involved allegations of defamation and damage to reputation.

The case also referenced Futura, a.s., the Czech company that owns halonoviny.cz, affiliated with the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM). The outlet’s owner, Ivan Nadberezhny, has been an active member of the KSČM and a donor and candidate. In 2021, Shariy gave an interview to https://web.archive.org/web/20220829002235/http://halonoviny.cz/.

Dubious Ethics and Hate Speech

In 2008, Shariy was affiliated with the NGO “Love Against Homosexuality”, headed by Ruslan Kukharchuk — a figure possibly linked to pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk. Shariy advocated for the criminalization and “medication” of LGBTQ individuals, praising Soviet-era laws. A similar law is still in effect in Russia today.

Shariy is the author of the article titled: “Homosexuality is a disease. Homosexuality is evil. I am against evil”, comparing LGBTQ people to “dog shit on the roadside.”

Screenshot of Shariy’s website from the web archive. In 2009 publications, he calls homosexuality a “vile disease” and Ukraine a “country of whores,” humiliating Ukrainian women.

He regularly uses obsessive vocabulary and prison jargon in public discourse, including on social media and blogs (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). At the same time, he wrote articles romanticizing love and relationships — a stark contrast to his hate-filled public persona.

In 2014, he launched Shariy.NET (FB, TW, VK, TG, sharijnet@sharij.pro), an online media outlet. The founder and director of LLC “Information Agency “SHARIY.NET” is his mother-in-law, Alla Ivanivna Bondarenko.

Shariy last posted on the Russian social network VK on January 14, 2023.

Following the sanctions on Shariy.NET and his social media accounts in August 2021, Shariy’s wife, Olga, announced a new outlet: Novoe Izdanie.

The editorial staff of novoeizdanie.com and sharij.net includes fake individuals. For example, Stepanov, Yevgen Eduardovich (born 16.11.1970), supposedly an editor. The edited photo on novoeizdanie.com belongs to a user of a site where people ask questions about space, onekilopars.ec, with the nickname Matthaeus. According to the available information, no real people have been identified. The photos appear to have been generated by a neural network.

Shariy’s YouTube channel, created on May 13, 2013, under the “Comedy” category, grew from 3.07 million subscribers in 2022 to
3.33 million in 2025. In March 2021, Shariy stated that he did not need donations, and in May 2021, he enabled sponsorships. The subscription costs €19.99 per month.

Shariy’s access to social media from Ukraine is restricted due to sanctions. However, as of February 2022, his Telegram channel had 270k subscribers. His estimated income from YouTube in 2022 could be $1.5–1.9 million.

Casino, gambling, fraud: how did Shariy recover?

Shariy has described his earlier years as troubled, marked by gambling, scams, and petty crimes (1, 3, 4). Between 1995 and 2007, he claims to have lost “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in casinos and attempted suicide several times. He admitted to stealing and running financial scams as a teenager.

“Sex with unfamiliar girls, daily smoking of anashi, communication with people like myself, antisocial lifestyle drowned out common sense.”— Anatolii Shariy describes his youth.

He attributes his recovery to God and his first wife, Olga Rabulets. However, in 2015, his sister accused him of stealing jewelry — in the same video where she also accused him of pedophilia. In 2012, during his stay in the Netherlands, Shariy raised $15,000 for his mother’s cancer treatment. She died before the surgery, and his sister claims he embezzled the funds. It is not possible to establish the exact amount, since the funds were collected not only to the account of the Ukrainian Community NGO, but also to Webmoney electronic wallets.

Digital and Criminal Footprint

Shariy’s email address (anatolijsharij@sharij.com.ua) is tied to adult websites AdultFriendFinder and FriendFinder-X, where he claimed interest in open sexual relationships. His Pornhub account, registered in the Netherlands, subscribed to channels that featured teen and incest-themed content. Other emails linked to him appear in dumps from the Russian dating site Loveplanet.

According to the insider information, Anatolii Shariy was prosecuted in 2006 under Article 185 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses — “Maliceful disobedience to a lawful order or demand of a police officer.” Later, in 2012, Shariy was listed in the criminal case materials as having no criminal record. In June 2013, he stated that he “had never been convicted, was not under investigation, and had no reason to contact the police.”

Shariy was wanted from 02/07/2012 to 04/23/2020 in Ukraine, from 06/20/2012 to 02/27/2014 on the international wanted list, and from 02/16/2021 in Ukraine. A figure of the Myrotvorets base.

In February 2021, the Security Service of Ukraine announced its suspicion that Shariy had committed illegal activities detrimental to Ukraine’s national security in the information sphere. The SSU believed that Shariy acted on the orders of foreign structures.

Anatolii Shariy was detained on May 4, 2022, in Spain. Later, the Spanish court released him on recognizance not to leave Spain.

Pedophilia Allegations — What is known?

The topic of Shariy’s alleged involvement in the corruption of minors was a hot topic in 2011-2012. Anatolii lived in the Netherlands. His sister, Olena Manchenko, said that during his stay in the house, her husband’s computer was blocked by the police on suspicion of distributing child pornography. Anatolii Shariy had access to that computer.

At another time, when Anatolii was visiting Manchenko, her friend reported that Shariy allegedly offered (the video is currently unavailable in the Netherlands and Ukraine) her minor child to “take a picture in underwear for a magazine.” Manchenko reported the incidents to the police.

In 2015, Olena Manchenko gave an interview where she told this story in more detail. She stated that Shariy is a pedophile and a thief. Because of this interview, Shariy sued his sister. First in Ukraine, and later, in 2018, in the Netherlands. He demanded a refutation of the information from the interview and eventually won both cases.

In 2016, a Ukrainian court ordered Shariy’s sister to publicly deny the claims. In 2019 and 2020, a court in the Netherlands also ordered her to
deny the information and pay a €125,000 fine (€100,000 + €25,000). However, Olena Manchenko claimed that Shariy had found a “good lawyer at the Russian embassy” and that he manipulated the information during the court hearing. Later, Olena Manchenko, by the court’s order, released a refutation of the information that Shariy had published on his YouTube channel.

In 2017, a public conflict arose between Anatolii Shariy and Russian lawyer Mark Feigyn, escalating into a series of lawsuits. Feigin stated that he was referring to the words of Shariy’s sister, who allegedly accused him of committing a sexual crime. In response, Shariy sued Feigin for defamation.

Anatolii Shariy filed several lawsuits against Feigyn in Russian courts (1, 2). Mark Feigyn sued Shariy over his tweets (1, 2). The court of first instance ordered Shariy to pay Feigin 100k rubles in compensation, but the appeals court overturned the decision.

Some accusations against Shariy were legally challenged by him in the courts. However, the subject of the accusations itself never completely disappeared from the public sphere. He continues to be remembered and quoted. In August 2022, Feigin announced during a
stream that a criminal case against Shariy had been reopened under Article 156 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, “Corruption of Minors” (
1, 2).

How did Shariy receive political asylum?

It seems that Anatolii Shariy is interested in firearms. There is a dump from Shariy’s official email, sharijnet2016@gmail.com, on the American marketplace for selling weapons for residents of Utah and neighbouring states — utah gun exchange. A photo from 2013 was also found on the resource for drivers drive2ru, in which Shariy, against the background of a car, is holding a weapon resembling an AK-74 (1, 2).

Anatolii Shariy holding a weapon resembling an AK-74 in his hands against the background of his Mercedes-Benz ML 55 AMG (2013).

According to the materials of one of the criminal cases against Shariy, Anatolii had a traumatic pistol Fort-17R. It was from the Fort-17R pistol that Shariy shot a man near McDonald’s in Kyiv. The incident occurred in May 2011. Anatolii himself described the situation as self-defense for himself and his pregnant wife (although according to the article, his wife had already given birth). The video (1, 2) from the surveillance camera shows that the man is the first to go outside. Then Shariy shoots him in the leg from behind, then the man turns around, and Anatolii shoots him in the stomach. In this case, Anatolii was charged under Article 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and was assigned a preventive measure in the form of detention.

A month after the shooting near McDonald’s, in July 2011, Shariy stated that he had been attacked — unknown persons allegedly shot at his Nissan Note. According to Anatolii, the attack was related to the persecution by law enforcement officers because of his materials in the publication in the Obozrevatel media. But the investigation came to a different conclusion: it was Shariy who shot at his own car, staging a “persecution”. As a result, he was charged under Part 2 of Article 383 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — knowingly making a false report of a crime — and on February 7, 2012, he was added to the wanted list.

Immediately after that, Shariy left Ukraine for the Russian Federation.

On June 8, 2012, Shariy received refugee status as a political refugee in Lithuania.

On June 20, 2012, he was put on the international wanted list at the request of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

March 2013. Shariy was arrested in the Kingdom of the Netherlands; however, by court decision, he was released from extradition arrest. Ukrainian law enforcement officers were denied extradition because Shariy had refugee status. A few months later, Shariy published his version of his detention in the Netherlands: he was detained on the street, asked to turn his back, put his hands on the roof of the car, handcuffed, and taken to prison. However, two years later, there was already a different version — he described this detention as follows: “Interpol packed me up. On the street. Roughly.”

In 2015, the Lithuanian prosecutor’s office initiated a re-examination of Shariy’s case and status, and on May 10, 2021, a Lithuanian court revoked Shariy’s refugee status. He was banned from entering Lithuania for 5 years. The media reported that on May 10, 2021, Shari had all his documents cancelled, and he was declared persona non grata in Lithuania.

Anatolii Shariy’s ties to the Russian Federation

As early as November 2014, Anatolii stated that he would not go to Russia while the war was ongoing. However, according to social networks and inside information, he visited the Russian Federation several times:

• Kaluga, 2014 (1, 2);
• probably the Ural Federal District of the Russian Federation in 2015 — registered in the “Anti-Criminal URFO” database;
• in the “RF Credit Accounting Contingent of Crediting” database for 2016 with the date of registration on 01.07.2014 (1, 2);
• found in the “RF Criminal Wanted Persons” databases in 2012 (1, 2), 2013 (1, 2, 3), 2014, 2018;
• October 2021 — Shariy with his wife in Moscow (1, 2);
• December–January 2021–2022 — the Shariy couple with their son in Moscow (1, 2).

“It’s cooler than anywhere else,” says Anatoly Shariy in his video about New Year’s Moscow. December–January 2021–2022.

In 2021, Shariy gave an interview to his own media outlet, where he stated that he was not proud of being Ukrainian. He called himself an “angel” because he allegedly refused $2 million for silence, and admitted that he is “high on Russia”. According to media reports, Yevgeny Murayev could have offered him money (1, 2).

In addition to trips to Russia and filming in Moscow, Shariy is also indirectly connected to the so-called “dpr.” The email address supersharij@yandex.ru was used when registering for services on kompamagazine.com and leaguespy.com. The IP addresses used were 185.114.139.128 and 185.114.139.160, and the nicknames anatolijsharij2017 and Anatolijsharij. This IP belongs to the provider “Phoenix-dpr”.

It was found that the email address anatolijsharij8@gmail.com appears in the dumps Free.navalny.com and FBK/SmartVote/Free.navalny.com. Another email address, sharijnet2016@gmail.com, was found in the dump of the Voronezh Technical Center.

“Shariy’s Party” and a Branded Clothing Store

Since its launch in 2019, “Shariy’s Party” has taken on a more complex form, resembling a multi-level scheme — a hybrid between a media installation and a tool for legitimizing finances. Let’s analyse this in more detail.

Among the party leaders is Antonina Beloglazova (born 04/24/1991), who served from October 2019 to May 2020. This person likely collaborated with the anti-Ukrainian organization “NLD” between 2015 and 2016.

* “NLD” is an abbreviation for “National Liberation Movement” — a pro-Russian ultra-patriotic movement led by Russian State Duma deputy Yevgeny Fyodorov. Its goal is to “sovereignize” Russia by fighting alleged external control (i.e., the USA, NATO, globalists, etc.).

According to the party’s report, funding came from several public organizations — NGO Shariy’s Party, NGO Shukachi Rishen (“Solution Seekers”), and NGO Pravo na Vladu (“Right to Power”). However, according to a Bihus.info investigation, these NGOs were not traditional donors. The funds were contributed by party members and funneled into official accounts to simulate legal expenses.

The party lacked a formal political program and nominated only 31 representatives, indicating a potentially technical candidacy. Nevertheless, they managed to open a branded clothing online store — Sharij Shop, an educational platform called Yasharu, and a complaint collection website.

The party spent 2.9 million UAH on Facebook advertising out of a total budget of 4.2 million UAH.

A screenshot from a video published by Boryslav Bereza shows people allegedly receiving Russian passports in “Shariyivtsi” (members of Shariy’s Party).

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, local branches of the party were disbanded. Former “Shariyivtsi” became part of newly formed deputy groups: Vidnovlenya Ukrainy (“Restoration of Ukraine”) and PPSh. According to a publication on Bereza’s Telegram page, in June 2022, members of the Kherson branch publicly received Russian passports.

The connection of the “Shariy’s Party” with the BRSM

According to materials from Bihus.Info, a significant portion of the financing for members of Shariy’s Political Party took place unofficially — in the form of cash and transfers to personal bank accounts. Larkina (Gavryshchuk) Anzhela Vasylivna (born 04.01.1981, VK, OK) managed the finances. Bihus.Info journalists identified her as a top manager of the group of companies that operate “BRSM” gas stations.

The owner of the “BRSM” network is probably Andrey Biba. According to Russian media, he is involved in the construction of temples for the Russian Orthodox Church, particularly in Thailand. For this, the Russian Patriarch Kirill awarded Biba with the Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, 3rd degree. Representatives of the group, namely “BRSM Nafta” LLC and “Euro Smart Power” LLC, filed a lawsuit against the Bihus.Info editorial office. Still, the court refused to grant the lawsuit.

Money Laundering in Lithuania

In August 2022, the Lithuanian Financial Crimes Investigation Service initiated a pre-trial investigation against Shariy under Article 216 of the Lithuanian Criminal Code, related to the legalization of property obtained by criminal means. Allegedly, Shariy had carried out unregistered activities in Lithuania since 2012, received undeclared income from unknown sources, and avoided paying taxes.

Telegram of Russian lawyer Feigyn. Early August 2022.

On the Telegram channel FEIGYN LIVE, an audio recording of Shariy’s interrogation was published, in which he confirmed receiving €670,000 in both 2019 and 2020. On May 28, 2019, Shariy purchased a house in Spain. In June of the same year, the Shariy Party was founded. Feigin claims Shariy may have received funds from Russia.

Dossier

Anatolii Shariy left Ukraine in 2012. It is known that he has been to several countries, including the Russian Federation. As of 2022, he has settled in Spain, where he was granted asylum. Ukrainian law enforcement officers have repeatedly demanded his extradition, but without success — the EU courts refuse.

On June 4, 2025, the Vinnytsia City Court sentenced Shariy in absentia to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property for high treason. For the first time in the history of Ukrainian jurisprudence, the court also decided to confiscate his YouTube and Telegram channels. The reason is that Shariy used them to spread Russian propaganda. Today, his YouTube channel is blocked in Ukraine.

Name: Anatolii Shariy

Date of Birth: August 20, 1978 (Kyiv)

Activities: Video blogger, propagandist. Founder of media platforms “Shariy.NET”, “Novoe Izdanie”, and the political project “Partiya Shariya”.

Education: Claims to have attended Marian Court College (USA) and a tank school in Kyiv. Criminal case materials indicate only secondary education.

Legal Status:

• Left Ukraine in 2012 and later settled in Spain, where he was granted asylum.
• On June 4, 2025, sentenced in absentia by the Vinnytsia City Court to 15 years in prison with property confiscation for high treason.
• The court also ordered the confiscation of his YouTube and Telegram channels used for spreading Russian propaganda.
• His YouTube channel is blocked in Ukraine.

Sanctions:

• Under NSDC sanctions since August 20, 2021, for 3 years.
• Shariy and his mother-in-law attempted to challenge the sanctions in court.
• Sanctions include blocking his and his wife’s social media in Ukraine: FB1, FB2, FB3, FB4, TW1, TW2, Inst, TG1, TG2, VK, Site1, Site2, YT1, YT2, YT3, YT4.

Social media:
FB, TW, TW2 (deleted), ОК (deleted), Inst, TG, VK, Site, YT1, YT2, Periscope, Dailymotion, LiveJournal.

Addresses:
— Lithuania, Vilnius, Pavilonius Street
— Spain, Barcelona — a rented apartment, which is indicated when registering Shariy’s son, Leonardo.

Shariy’s publications have systematically undermined trust in Ukrainian institutions for years. He actively dispersed Russian narratives in the Ukrainian information space. The portal mil.in.ua published a selection of Shariy’s exposed fakes and propaganda in three parts (1, 2, 3).

Finally, in 2025, Shariy was convicted in absentia in Ukraine for anti-state activities.

Despite this, his YouTube channel remains active (although it is blocked in Ukraine). With over three million subscribers and millions of views on each video, this is a profitable business for Anatolii.

Shariy is neither a journalist, a politician, nor an oppositionist. He is a Russian propagandist. His story is not about the fight for the hidden truth, but about how hatred, manipulation, and the ability to play on emotions can be monetized.