Natalya Sindeyeva

Natalya Vladimirovna Sindeyeva (, ; born 11 June 1971) is a Russian journalist, founder, main owner and chief executive officer of the TV Rain media holding, which includes the TV Rain channel, the Republic.ru online magazine and the magazine. She is the co-founder and former general producer of the Silver Rain radio station, and founder of the anti-award. She is also a three-times winner of the "Media Manager of Russia" prize, an honorary academician of the Russian Academy of Radio.

Early life and education Natalya Vladimirovna Sindeyeva was born in Michurinsk into the family of a military dentist. From the age of three, Natalya was transferred to the care of her grandparents. As a child, she was fond of sports, graduated from a ballet school, studied music and folk dances. After school she received a specialty "teacher of elementary grades and mathematics" at the Michurinsk State Pedagogical Institute (MGPI).

Career After graduation in 1992, she moved to Moscow. In the beginning, she worked in an Italian clothing company and on a project for a night show on the water in the Chaika pool. Working as a promoter at one of the exhibitions, Sindeyeva met with producer Pavel Vashchekin and later became his personal assistant. who became her second husband. In 2002, the couple had a son, Luca. In 2006 Sindeyeva and Vinokurov married and in 2009, their daughter Alexandra, was born.

TV Rain media holding, 2007–present Since 2007, Natalya Sindeyeva has been developing the TV Rain media holding, which includes the channel of the same name, as well as the publication and the magazine. Aleksandr Vinokurov is an investor in all three projects, but legally Sindeyeva alone owns Republic and Big City; in the TV Rain channel she has 95% (another 5% for Vera Krichevskaya). The exact investment in the holding has not been disclosed, but by mid-2013, according to some estimates, the total investment in the channel alone could have reached $40 million.

In 2012, the total revenue of the holding amounted to 433 million rubles, according to Russian Accounting Standards. The TV channel accounted for almost 66% — 285 million rubles, the Slon.ru portal (created in 2009) — 20%, the rest – the magazine and website Bolshoi Gorod (acquired in 2010). No resource brings operating profit.

TV Rain became the most influential independent channel in Russia, always under pressure of the state authorities. Upon nation-wide crackdown of independent media in the country in time of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the channel was blocked by Roskomnadzor. Sindeyeva announced on air on 3 March that the current broadcast would be the last for the time being. The following day, a law against "fake news" was passed in the Russian parliament.

Documentary A documentary, F@ck This Job, presented as Tango with Putin by Storyville, a BBC documentary series, about the history of TV Rain over 12 years and Sindeyeva's involvement in the station, was directed by Vera Krichevskaya, and released in 2021. Sindeeva is a passionate tango dancer. She and Vinokurov are separated.

Awards In 2004, Sindeyeva became a laureate of the Media Manager of Russia award in the Radio category — "for innovative and non-standard approaches to the station's off-air promo campaigns".

In 2021, she won the award.