“Tsargrad TV” was registered in Russia following the outbreak of the war in Donbas, but it began broadcasting in November 2015. The channel declared its mission as “covering everything from a Christian perspective.” Initially, it was part of a satellite television package, but in 2017 it shifted to an online format.
According to a report by Media Bias/Fact Check, Tsargrad TV not only refrains from criticizing President Putin, but routinely praises the Russian government. The report also notes that the channel justifies Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by framing it as an effort to “stop Nazism,” and consistently portrays news related to the United States of America in a negative light.
“Tsargrad TV” was founded by Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, a supporter of restoring the Russian Empire. Malofeev financed the process of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, for which he was sanctioned by both the United States and the European Union.
From 2015 to 2016, the position of editor-in-chief was held by Alexander Dugin, leader of the “Eurasianist Movement” and a key ideologue of Russia’s aggressive expansionist policies. The channel’s current editor-in-chief is Darya Tokareva, who was fined 120,000 rubles by a Moscow court for spreading false information about COVID-19. Prior to that, Tokareva had been fined seven times for publishing information and photos of injured minors without parental consent.
Although Tsargrad TV’s website does not disclose any state funding, Novaya Gazeta reported that in 2022 the outlet signed at least three government contracts worth a total of 2.4 million rubles (€38,800).
