Kremlin propagandist Tigran Keosayan, husband of top Russian media figure, dies
Tigran Keosayan (photo: Russian media)
Russian director and propagandist Tigran Keosayan has died. He spent the last few months in a coma, according to a Telegram post by his wife, Russian journalist Margarita Simonyan.
"Last night, Tigran went to the Lord. Thank you to everyone who prayed. Please do not call me or the family right now," Simonyan wrote.
Tigran Keosayan passed away (screenshot)
What is known about Keosayan's illness
Since early 2025, Keosayan had been hospitalized due to serious heart problems.
Russian and Armenian media reported that he had previously suffered two heart attacks, in 2008 and 2010.
In January 2025, he experienced clinical death and fell into a coma, as confirmed by his close family, including Simonyan.
Doctors diagnosed him with brain swelling, and his condition remained critically serious for an extended period.
Tigran Keosayan (photo: Russian media)
For several months, conflicting reports about his condition appeared in the media: some sources noted slight signs of brain activity recovery, while others said he never regained consciousness. The hospital did not release official medical statements, but he remained under constant intensive care and never came out of the coma until his death in September 2025.
Who Tigran Keosayan was and his statements about Ukraine
Tigran Keosayan was a Russian director, actor, and TV host who became one of the most prominent figures in Russian propaganda.
He was born on January 4, 1966, in Moscow to a well-known Armenian filmmaking family: his father, Edmond Keosayan, directed the iconic Soviet films "The Elusive Avengers," and his mother, Laura Gevorkyan, was an actress.
Tigran graduated from VGIK, worked as a director and screenwriter, produced films and TV programs, and hosted shows on Russian channels.
His show "Mezhdunarodnaya Pilorama" on NTV quickly shifted from entertainment to a political platform, where Keosayan regularly made anti-Ukrainian statements and supported aggressive Kremlin policies.
After Russia's war against Ukraine began in 2014, and especially following the full-scale invasion in 2022, Keosayan became a regular participant in propaganda broadcasts.
Tigran Keosayan (photo: Russian media)
He repeatedly insulted the Ukrainian government and people, mocked the Ukrainian language and culture, called events in Kyiv a "coup," and publicly justified the occupation of Crimea and the war in Donbas.
In 2022, during his show, he threatened Kazakhstan with a "Ukrainian scenario," claiming that countries not supporting Russia's actions could "end badly."
Because of these statements, Keosayan was banned from entering Kazakhstan and faced personal sanctions from the EU, the UK, Canada, and Ukraine.
In his later years, he continued appearing on Russian television as a commentator and "defender of the Russian world," effectively becoming one of the faces of state propaganda. His statements about Ukraine and neighboring countries repeatedly caused international outrage and led to new sanctions.
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