Alexander Glazastikov

Background

Alexander Olegovich Glazastikov (Russian: Александр Олегович Глазастиков) is a Russian figure known primarily for his role as a co-founder of the anonymous collective Shaltai Boltai, a group that gained notoriety for leaking the private communications of high-profile Russian individuals.

Early Interactions with Anikeyev

Glazastikov reportedly first met Vladimir Anikeyev at a party in Russia sometime between 2003 and 2005. The two maintained only infrequent contact over the following years. In 2013, Anikeyev proposed the idea of launching a political blog along with an accompanying Twitter account. Glazastikov agreed with the concept and at one point considered serving as an official press secretary for the blog, a discussion that laid the groundwork for what would become Shaltai Boltai.

Shaltai Boltai

Shaltai Boltai — the Russian rendering of "Humpty Dumpty" — operated as an anonymous collective that published leaked private correspondence belonging to a range of Russian public figures. During its first year of activity, the group released communications attributed to individuals including Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, politician Robert Schlegel, Kremlin official Timur Prokopenko, military officer Igor Strelkov, and businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin. The group attracted significant attention within Russia for the sensitivity of the material it disclosed.

Asylum and Legal Consequences

In February 2017, following press reports that Vladimir Anikeyev had been arrested in Russia, Glazastikov gave an interview to the independent television channel TV Rain in which he announced his intention to apply for political asylum in Estonia. His departure from Russia preceded formal legal action against him. In October 2018, the Moscow City Court issued an in absentia arrest order against Glazastikov, formalizing Russian authorities' pursuit of him despite his absence from the country.