Latvia’s Foreign Minister Baiba Braže has added Russian journalist and television presenter Ksenia Sobchak, as well as her husband, theatre director Konstantin Bogomolov, to the country’s list of undesirable persons.
Both have been banned from entering Latvia for an indefinite period, the minister said on the social network X, Delfi reports.
❌ Saskaņā ar Imigrācijas likuma 104.p.3.d. esmu iekļāvusi Latvijai nevēlamo personu sarakstā un uz nenoteiktu laiku aizliegusi ieceļot Latvijā KF pilsoņiem Ksenijai Sobčakai un Konstantīnam Bogomolovam.
— Baiba Braže (@Braze_Baiba) October 31, 2026
Sobchak is a Russian journalist, television presenter and former politician. She previously hosted popular TV programmes and, in 2018, took part in Russia’s presidential election, winning less than 2% of the vote. Sobchak is the daughter of former St Petersburg mayor Anatoly Sobchak. Her father was once the boss and political mentor of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bogomolov is a Russian theatre and film director, known for his productions in Moscow theatres. He also ran the Theatre on Malaya Bronnaya. Sobchak and Bogomolov married in 2019.
In October 2022, Sobchak left Russia and travelled to Lithuania via Belarus, using an Israeli passport to cross the border.
Less than two weeks later, reports said Sobchak had returned to Russia, crossing the Latvian-Russian border at the Terehova–Burachki checkpoint. Her husband, theatre director Konstantin Bogomolov, was with her.
Braže has previously added several well-known figures in Russia to Latvia’s list of undesirable persons. In September, Russian ice hockey player Alexander Ovechkin and Umar Kremlev, head of the International Boxing Association, were banned from entering Latvia for an indefinite period. In early October, Braže announced the start of the procedure to add Russian journalist Leonid Ragozin, who lives in Latvia, to the list.