The snowy conditions must have made the photo session quite a nippy experience
A Russian influencer has apologized for staging an erotic exhibition outside Moscow’s best-known Islamic place of worship, the latest in a spate of scandals featuring internet stars posing provocatively outside religious buildings in the country.
The clip, which saw an unknown woman wearing just a coat, stockings, lingerie, and a balaclava in thick snow near the holy building, circulated among media outlets on Thursday.
In the viral video, the scantily clad figure could be seen striking a series of poses in front of a photographer, understood to be influencer Maria Katanova, outside the Moscow Cathedral Mosque, located in the center of the Russian capital.
While the raunchy display was widely watched online, it has resulted in a criminal investigation being launched under laws barring offending religious believers. If found guilty of the crime, the woman could face a maximum penalty of one year in prison.
The woman who appeared half-naked near the place of worship faces a fine of nearly $4,000 dollars or 12 months behind bars, a law-enforcement source told TASS on Friday.
In the wake of the scandal Katanova offered her sincerest apologies to those who she insulted with the sexually-charged images outside the mosque.
The social media personality said that as she was passing by the building, she saw a similar photo session of a girl sporting an open fur coat displaying her half-naked body. She says that she told the woman that such a move was unacceptable and her attempt at fame would most likely get her punished.