<\/p>\n
Russian authorities detained Lida Moniava, head of\u00a0the \u201cHouse with a\u00a0Lighthouse\u201d children\u2019s hospice, and charged<\/a> her with spreading \u201cfake\u201d information about the Russian military<\/strong> motivated by\u00a0political hatred (Article 207.3, Part 2, Clause D\u00a0of\u00a0Russia\u2019s Criminal Code). Officers searched Moniava\u2019s home on\u00a0the morning of\u00a0September 2 and brought her in\u00a0for questioning at\u00a0the Investigative Committee, Russia\u2019s main law enforcement agency for major crimes. The charge carries a\u00a0maximum sentence of\u00a010 years in\u00a0prison.<\/p>\n The criminal case stems from a\u00a0post Moniava published on\u00a0her Telegram channel on\u00a0February 24, 2023, the first anniversary of\u00a0Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion of\u00a0Ukraine<\/strong>, her defense attorney Mikhail Biryukov told<\/a> the independent Russian news outlet Mediazona. The post opened<\/a> with the words: \u201cFor a\u00a0year now my\u00a0country has been sending missiles, tanks, and soldiers into Ukraine. For a\u00a0year now, innocent people have been dying because of\u00a0this.\u201d Moniava went on\u00a0to\u00a0describe the killing of\u00a0Ukrainian civilians, including young children, and urged readers to\u00a0donate to\u00a0a\u00a0fund helping Ukrainian refugees who had ended up\u00a0in\u00a0Russia because of\u00a0the war.<\/p>\n Moniava did not admit guilt during questioning at\u00a0the Investigative Committee, and authorities are expected to\u00a0ask a\u00a0court to\u00a0send her to\u00a0a\u00a0pretrial detention center.<\/strong> Biryukov said a\u00a0hearing on\u00a0her pretrial restriction is\u00a0scheduled for September 3, after 5 p.m., at\u00a0Simonovsky District Court in\u00a0Moscow. Investigators have not yet filed the motion, but Moniava\u2019s defense attorneys believe they will seek her pretrial detention.<\/p>\n The House with a\u00a0Lighthouse foundation told Meduza it\u00a0was awaiting news about Moniava, adding: \u201cThe work of\u00a0House with a\u00a0Lighthouse and its support for families continues as\u00a0usual.\u201d<\/p>\n A\u00a0court fined<\/a> Moniava 45,000 rubles in\u00a0February 2026 under an\u00a0administrative charge of\u00a0\u201cdiscrediting\u201d the Russian military.<\/strong> The penalty stemmed from three posts on\u00a0her Telegram channel in\u00a02025. In\u00a0one, she linked<\/a> to\u00a0a\u00a0\u201cChristmas Address to\u00a0Friends\u201d by\u00a0Orthodox Christians in\u00a0emigration, published by\u00a0The Moscow Times, which spoke of\u00a0\u201ca\u00a0terrible war unleashed by\u00a0the Russian state.\u201d In\u00a0another, Moniava wrote<\/a> about the killing of\u00a0children in\u00a0a\u00a0Russian missile strike on\u00a0Kryvyi\u00a0Rih. In\u00a0a\u00a0third, she described<\/a> the deaths of\u00a0the Martynenko family in\u00a0a\u00a0Russian strike on\u00a0Sumy.<\/p>\n After the fine, Moniava said<\/a> she had no\u00a0plans to\u00a0leave Russia.<\/strong> She wrote on\u00a0social media that the war is\u00a0\u201cevil\u201d and \u201ca\u00a0terrible tragedy\u201d that needs \u201cto\u00a0be\u00a0stopped as\u00a0soon as\u00a0possible\u201d:<\/p>\n I\u2019ve also received a\u00a0lot of\u00a0advice to\u00a0leave Russia. I\u00a0suppose I\u00a0should respond to\u00a0that\u00a0too. When Center E\u00a0comes pounding at\u00a0your apartment door, it\u00a0is\u00a0of\u00a0course frightening. But just look at\u00a0this picture of\u00a0what a\u00a0great shift Anya and I\u00a0are having \u2014 a\u00a0girl who spent 19 years living behind the walls of\u00a0a\u00a0state institution. If\u00a0I\u00a0leave, more children in\u00a0palliative care will end up\u00a0spending time in\u00a0institutions and intensive care units. I\u00a0doubt I\u00a0could live happily in\u00a0another country under those circumstances. So\u00a0I\u2019m not planning to\u00a0emigrate. But I\u00a0also can\u2019t stay silent as\u00a0if\u00a0there\u2019s no\u00a0war. Living truthfully matters most to\u00a0me.<\/p>\n Lida Moniava started volunteering in\u00a0the oncology department of\u00a0the Russian Children\u2019s Clinical Hospital while still in\u00a0school. \u201cThere I\u00a0played with the children and helped supply the department with things like disposable materials, laundry detergent, and cleaning supplies,\u201d she said<\/a>. She continued helping at\u00a0the hospital while studying at\u00a0the journalism department of\u00a0Moscow State University, then went to\u00a0work for the Podari Zhizn (Gift of\u00a0Life) foundation, which helps children with cancer and severe blood disorders. From 2008 to\u00a02011, Moniava served as\u00a0personal assistant to\u00a0the foundation\u2019s director, Galina Chalikova. After Chalikova died of\u00a0cancer, Moniava became a\u00a0coordinator of\u00a0children\u2019s assistance at\u00a0the Vera foundation, which had just launched a\u00a0program of\u00a0targeted aid for terminally ill children.<\/p>\n Moniava went on\u00a0to\u00a0co-found the House with a\u00a0Lighthouse children\u2019s hospice with Nyuta Federmesser, who created the Vera foundation, and headed the charitable foundation of\u00a0the same name, which supports children\u2019s hospices in\u00a0Moscow and the Moscow region and helps severely ill children and young adults up\u00a0to\u00a0age 30.<\/p>\n After Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion began, Moniava launched a\u00a0separate fund to\u00a0help refugees from Ukraine, Russia\u2019s border regions, and Nagorno-Karabakh. It\u00a0suspended operations in\u00a0September 2025.<\/p>\n At\u00a0Meduza, we\u00a0are committed to\u00a0transparency about our use of\u00a0artificial intelligence in\u00a0the newsroom. The story you\u2019re reading was written by\u00a0one of\u00a0our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an\u00a0AI\u00a0model configured to\u00a0follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is\u00a0the result of\u00a0extensive testing and refinements to\u00a0ensure our English-language coverage is\u00a0timely and accurate. A\u00a0Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.<\/p>\n If\u00a0you find any errors in\u00a0this translation, please contact us\u00a0at\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n