Pro-Kremlin media report Maxim Galkin has a “new source of income” from overseas LGBT events

Russian media outlets Life and URA.RU reported that entertainer Maxim Galkin has become a sought-after host for private parties and weddings for LGBT couples abroad. The original source of this information was the anonymous Telegram channel Mash, which independent media analysts and investigative journalists link to the pro-Kremlin media ecosystem and the Russian Presidential Administration.

Maxim Galkin ranks first among the most sought-after Russian hosts, followed by Ivan Urgant. By claims Mash claims that demand for the entertainer's services abroad has allegedly risen since he changed his appearance and posted photos on social media. The outlets claim that Galkin charges from 150,000 euros. Complete confidentiality is said to be a key condition for his participation. The reports also mention Ivan Urgant, who allegedly requests information about clients in advance before agreeing to perform.

Mash's report was also picked up by other outlets, including the Public News Service and Southern Federal.

Is it true?

Neither Mash nor the outlets that picked up the story (Life, URA.RU, OSN) provide any actual corroborating evidence—there are no screenshots of conversations, audio recordings of negotiations with the entertainer's managers, copies of riders, or genuine comments from clients/organizers. The entire article cites vague “Mash data.”

Media experts Doberman Media note that such a story combines several standard Russian propaganda narratives at once — discrediting artists who have left the Russian Federation, the LGBT issue, and speculation about private events. This piece is a classic example of an unverified news story (inside information) planted by an anonymous source and disseminated by pro-Kremlin media outlets.

Maxim Galkin left Russia after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and was added by the Russian Ministry of Justice to the register of “foreign agents.”