Russian cuisine historian sentenced to six years over Bucha massacre post

Pavel Syutkin, a historian of Russian cuisine and writer, has been sentenced to six years in a penal colony for spreading military ‘fake news’ motivated by hatred (Article 207.3, Part 2(e) of the Russian Criminal Code), RusNews reports.

The verdict was handed down by Judge Yelena Gorodnitskaya of the Zyuzino District Court in Moscow.

The case was heard behind closed doors. Pavel Syutkin explained to journalists: ‘Because the witness in the case is an FSB officer, and he, it seems, is a very sensitive soul… Well, it seems the court, too, feels somewhat uncomfortable handing down a verdict in what is, after all, a political case.’

In his closing statement, delivered on 9 September, Pavel Syutkin said: ‘I am glad that I was able to publicly express the views of millions of Russians who, despite the relentless cannibalistic propaganda, have managed to retain the conscience and honour of decent people. As a historian, I am certain that the last couple of decades will soon be remembered as the most shameful period in our homeland’s history for many centuries.’

According to Mediazona, the criminal case against Pavel Syutkin was opened over a post published on the Russian Cuisine: History Telegram channel on 19 April 2022, which included the lines: ‘Kyiv was bombed. Putin’s war had direct parallels with Hitler’s. Now he too has his own Babyn Yar. Bucha: more than two hundred civilians, including women, elderly people and children, were shot dead.’

Pavel Syutkin was detained on 8 October 2025 and has been held in custody since.

Pavel Syutkin is 61 and holds a Candidate of Historical Sciences degree, roughly equivalent to a PhD. He was a regular expert on NTV‘s Zhivaya Yeda (‘Real Food’) and co-authored books on Russian cuisine with his wife.