Is Tatiana Lazareva in the Canary Islands? The Russian Interior Ministry has issued a search and arrest warrant for Russian actress and presenter Tatiana Lazareva, who has strongly opposed Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. According to several news agencies and the portal MediazoneIn a statement, her name appears in the Interior Ministry's database, indicating that she is being sought internationally by Russian authorities with the aim of locating her whereabouts and potentially requesting her extradition. Such measures are in line with Russian President Vladimir Putin's well-known tactics to silence members of the opposition.
Lazareva, 57, was designated as a foreign agent in June 2022. The search warrant is based on an unspecified article of the Russian criminal code. Last April, MP Yelena Yampolskaya asked the Prosecutor General's Office to investigate the actress, who is suspected of being in Kiev when Russian troops invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022.
The actress and comedian has openly criticised the "special military operation" in Ukraine, which has earned her severe criticism in Russia. Lazareva has stated that she has no plans to return to her native country. She was one of the figures who demanded that the Kremlin return the body of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalni to his family. She has also supported the actions of the extra-parliamentary opposition during the March elections and opposed President Putin's re-election.
Tatiana Lazareva was born on 21 July 1966 in Novosibirsk. She is known for her performances in '33 kvadratnykh metra' (1998), 'Chto nuzhno zhenshchine...' (2000) and 'Zvyozdniy vors' (2012). She has been married to Mikhail Shats, a member of the Coordinating Council of the Russian Opposition, and Aleksandr Drugovoy.
A photograph with a deliberately distorted background has raised suspicions about Tatiana's current place of residence. Although no Spanish authority has so far confirmed the veracity of the matter, some experts suggest that the image could have been taken in the south of Tenerife. The photo, posted on 21 March on Lázareva's Instagram account, is accompanied by text mentioning a trip to Piedmont and a story by Italian author Gianni Rodari, which has led to speculation as to whether the location is real or a distraction. In recent months, the actress has visited Portugal and Spain, including Barcelona and Madrid, where she participated in the "Russia without Putin" demonstration and helped collect signatures.
The south of Tenerife and other towns in the Canary Islands are home to a large number of Russian citizens and citizens of other countries of the former Soviet Union. According to elburgado.com, many citizens opposed to Vladimir Putin's regime have chosen to take up residence on the islands, where they find a good climate, good air connections and a community of fellow citizens unhappy with the repressive and personalist policies of the Russian leader. Some have been part of the opposition. This is why digital media and other sources of information suggest that Tatiana Lázareva could be in the Canary Islands, specifically in the south of the island of Tenerife, seeking refuge from the anger unleashed against her by Putin and his regime. There is also speculation that Putin may have sent police officers to look for her.
