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Anatoli Ulyanov (born 11 July 1984, in Lviv, Ukraine) is a writer, photographer, filmmaker, and asylee. He is best known for his critical writings about culture and politics, as well as for being editor-in-chief of controversial and censored media outlets, including PROZA, LOOO.CH and DADAKINDER.

Ulyanov's work is focused on social ex/inclusion, diversity, equality, and emancipation. He writes on subjects of identity, nationalism, postcolonialism, intersectionality, and revolution.

In his documentaries, Ulyanov explores outcasts, minorities, and rebels. His artistic practice includes street portraits, romantic poetry and diaristic travelogues.

Early media activism
In 2003, Anatoli Ulyanov and Natasha Masharova created a website called PROZA. This platform became the primary platform for free cultural debates and provided a critical archive of contemporary art, literature, and music. PROZA helped establish Ulyanov as an influential social critic and the advocate for the principles of open society, denouncing ultra-nationalistic, xenophobic, and homophobic trends in Ukraine.

After the Orange Revolution, Ulyanov focused on opposing the xenophobic ideas he saw dominating public discourse and taking root in government institutions. He began publishing works in support of the LGBTQ+ community, including art and essays challenging stigmatization of homosexuality.

As Ulyanov gained popularity, he attracted the attention of the Bratstvo, an ultranationalist organization that identifies itself as an “Orthodox Hezbollah” and sought to “protect the interests of Jesus Christ by the Islamic Revolution’s methods” from proponents of free expression and tolerance. Dmytro Korchynsky, the founder of the Bratstvo and the former leader of the far-right Ukrainian National Assembly – Ukrainian People's Self-Defence (UNA-UNSO) organization, together with other conservatives in the government of Ukraine, including Danilo Yanevsky and Leonid Chernovetsky (both of whom played major roles in the National Expert Commission of Ukraine on the Protection of Public Morality (NEC) that Ulyanov publicly opposed ) chose Anatoli as a target to punish on account of his progressive opinions and support for LGBTQ+ community.

Violent persecution and censorship
On January 29, 2009, Anatoli Ulyanov attended a meeting of the NEC, read an unidentified piece of literature, and asked the Commission members to evaluate it. The head of the NEC declared the piece pornographic. Ulyanov then revealed that it was an excerpt from Henry Miller’s "Tropic of Cancer", ridiculed the NEC for its unfamiliarity with an essential piece of literature, and argued that the NEC was unfit to act as arbiters of artistic merit.

Shortly after, Ulyanov launched a series of online campaigns, including Moral Monitor to fight censorship and promote democracy. One of the targets of his criticism was Leonid Chernovetsky, who was the Mayor of Kyiv (2006-2010) and wrote the law underlying the establishment of the NEC.

On March 3, 2009, Anatoli Ulyanov was attacked by a mob led by a local Bratstvo leader, Dmitry Linko.

On March 13, 2009, Ulyanov was confronted in the streets by a Bratstvo member, who spat on and brutally beat Ulyanov in broad daylight. An hour later, the Bratstvo issued a statement on their website entitled “Pervert-blasphemer punished,” in which they took credit for the attack:"'Today, art critic and homosexual A. Ulyanov, known on the internet for his blasphemous and anti-Christian writings, was yet again punished in the Kyiv city center near the National Opera building. Unfortunately, not everyone who wanted to could participate in the execution... '"On March 28, 2009, Anatoli Ulyanov was attacked by the Bratstvo for the third time in one month.

On April 23, 2009, Anatoli Ulyanov appeared on the TV show “Shuster Live” to criticize government censorship. Danilo Yanevsky was another guest on the show and used the appearance as a platform to threaten Anatoli publicly.

Following the attacks, Telekritika summarized the significance of Ulyanov’s work and its connection to the threats against his safety:"'The attack of the thugs on Anatoli Ulyanov—the expected addition to a series of threats and provocations against this journalist. [. . .] Anatoli Ulyanov is the major phenomenon of the Ukrainian journalism of the 2000s. He is the only one among his colleagues, who created his own distinctive imagery system and his own language. Being familiar with the theory and practice of contemporary art, Ulyanov knew quite well the importance of a radical, shocking gesture in the era of information satiety. That was the only way to quickly draw the attention of an inert audience to his message. '"On April 24, 2009, Anatoli Ulyanov and Natasha Masharova fled the country, moved to Europe, and made their way to the United States (2011) where they were granted asylum (2018) with the assistance of the Human Rights First and Kobre & Kim.

On October 8, 2009, PROZA has been banned following NEC's recommendation