Latvia has banned Russian journalist and TV presenter Ksenia Sobchak and her husband, director Konstantin Bogomolov, from entering the country for an indefinite period. The decision was taken by Latvia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, who announced it on 31 October 2026 on social media platform X. Both Russian citizens have been added to the national list of undesirable persons in accordance with Latvian immigration law. The minister did not specify the reasons for imposing the restrictions.
- Latvia has banned Ksenia Sobchak and Konstantin Bogomolov from entering the country for an indefinite period.
- The decision was announced on 31 October by the Latvian Foreign Minister, Baiba Braže.
- Both Russian citizens have been added to the list of persons deemed undesirable in the country.
- The basis for this was Part 3 of Article 104 of the Latvian Immigration Act.
- The reasons for the ban have not been officially explained. Sobchak has asked the Latvian authorities to provide an explanation.
Why has Latvia banned Sobchak and Bogomolov from entering the country?
On the introduction of restrictions: the Minister for Foreign Affairs Latvia Baiba Brazier she posted on her page on the social media platform X.
She noted that she had exercised the powers provided for in Part 3 of Article 104 of the Immigration Act. This provision allows the Minister for Foreign Affairs to decide whether to include foreign nationals on the list of persons undesirable to Latvia.
«I have added Ksenia Sobchak and Konstantin Bogomolov, citizens of the Russian Federation, to the list of undesirable persons and banned them from entering Latvia for an indefinite period», said Braže.
However, the statement does not explain exactly which actions by Sobchak and Bogomolova led to the restrictions.
The Latvian public broadcaster LSM has confirmed that the ban applies to both Russians and has no specified end date.
How Ksenia Sobchak reacted to the ban
Following the announcement by the Latvian minister, Sobchak responded to the decision on her Telegram channel.
The Russian TV presenter stated that she had not visited Latvia for a long time and had no plans to go there. At the same time, she demanded that the Latvian authorities explain why she had been placed on the list of undesirable persons.
Sobchak also expressed her dissatisfaction with the decision, arguing that Latvia should be grateful to Russians for the money they had previously invested in the country’s economy, cultural projects and the entertainment industry.
This is the TV presenter’s personal view. The Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet issued an official explanation of the reasons for the ban.
Who are Ksenia Sobchak and Konstantin Bogomolov?
Ksenia Sobchak is a Russian journalist, television presenter and blogger. She rose to fame through her appearances on television programmes, and later went on to pursue a career in journalism and politics.
In 2018, Sobchak stood as a candidate for the Russian presidency, receiving less than 2% of the vote.
She is the daughter of the former mayor of St Petersburg Anatoly Sobchak, under whose leadership he worked at the start of his political career Vladimir Putin.
Her husband, Konstantin Bogomolov, is a Russian theatre and film director, known for his productions in Moscow theatres. He has also previously worked on productions in Latvia, notably at the theatre in Liepāja.
The couple got married in 2019.
Who else has Latvia banned from entering the country from Russia?
The Latvian authorities regularly impose personal restrictions on Russian citizens whom they consider undesirable residents of the country.
In particular, in September 2026, Baiba Braže announced a travel ban on a Russian ice hockey player To Alexander Ovechkin and the head of the International Boxing Association Umar Kremlev.
Similar decisions have previously been taken regarding other Russian figures from the worlds of culture, television and show business.
Latvia has been consistently restricting entry for certain Russian citizens since the start of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, the grounds for each individual decision are determined on a case-by-case basis.
As of 1 November 2026, the ban on Sobchak and Bogomolov has already been introduced and remains in force indefinitely. It is not yet known whether Latvia will review this decision in the future.
