Remember Diana Shurygina, who became famous throughout the Russian internet after being raped? She's in a pre-trial detention center
And the guy she reported became a human rights activist after his release.
Diana Shurygina. This is the last photo on her Telegram channel. June 14, 2026. Photo: dianashu555 / Telegram
The story of 16-year-old Diana Shurygina from Ulyanovsk resonated throughout Russia in 2017. The girl gained widespread fame thanks to a series of episodes of the talk show "Let Them Talk," dedicated to the rape case.
At that time, Shurygina was a second-year student at Ulyanovsk Professional Pedagogical College. According to her, in March 2016, she was at a birthday party in a private house where she drank some vodka. Later, on the show, the girl claimed that there was only "a drop at the bottom" of alcohol. This phrase quickly became one of the most famous internet memes of that time.
Screenshot of the "Let Them Talk" program, which became a meme
According to Shurygina, at the party, she met Sergey Semyonov, a student at the Ulyanovsk Agricultural Academy. According to her version, the young man later raped her, using physical force. Semyonov himself insisted that the intimate relationship was consensual.
Initially, the court sentenced Semyonov to eight years of imprisonment in a strict-regime penal colony. Later, the sentence was appealed, and the term of punishment was reduced to three years and three months in a general-regime penal colony. In autumn 2018, he was released on parole.
Sergey Semyonov in the penal colony. Video screenshot: m24 / vk.com
The "Let Them Talk" episodes featuring Shurygina collectively garnered about 13 million views. In February 2017, her surname became the second most popular search query on Yandex after Putin. More than 1.2 million people subscribed to the girl's Instagram page.
The story caused a great resonance. On social networks, there was a long debate about whether the crime actually took place or if Shurygina slandered Semyonov.
Later, Shurygina's family moved to Moscow. In autumn 2017, she married Andrei Shlyanin, a First Channel operator. For some time, the girl worked as a barista, tried her hand at music, and recorded several songs. At the same time, she started a blog, which gradually became a stable source of income for her thanks to advertising.
Photo: dianashu555 / Telegram
However, the marriage quickly broke down. A new partner appeared in Shurygina's life — millionaire Denis Robrov. Their relationship lasted several years. The couple traveled a lot, and Diana herself underwent breast augmentation surgery and actively shared this with her subscribers. Later, she openly admitted to mental health problems, as well as alcohol and drug addiction.
In 2025, she found a new lover — crypto investor Svyatoslav Gusev. The couple was preparing for a wedding, but a week before the ceremony, Gusev announced that it would not happen. Despite this, they continued their relationship. This May, the man accused his ex-girlfriend of stealing belongings, a safe with money, and valuables worth approximately 25 thousand dollars.
Svyatoslav Gusev and Diana Shlyanina. Photo: shurygina_vlog / vk.com
On June 16, Russian media reported that Diana Shlyanina's apartment (she kept her first husband's surname) was searched. The woman is accused of producing pornographic materials.
According to media reports, back in 2021, she created an account on the OnlyFans platform, where she posted erotic content. In recent years, Shlyanina combined running a lifestyle blog about travel and sports with a closed paid Telegram channel, where she offered subscribers private communication, as well as photos and videos for adults.
Photo: dianashu555 / Telegram
If Shlyanina's guilt is proven, she could face two to six years of imprisonment. For now, she is in a pre-trial detention center.
As for Sergey Semyonov, after his release, he worked as a taxi driver for some time and was involved in selling spare parts for agricultural machinery. Later, the man graduated from the university, which he was forced to interrupt due to the criminal case, and got married.
In 2019, together with his lawyer, he established a human rights center that helps people who consider themselves wrongfully convicted. Currently, his Instagram page has over 57 thousand subscribers, and his VKontakte social network page has about 48 thousand.
Comments
[Зрэдагавана]