Vitaly Ataev Troshin was born in Moscow Region in 1988, just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. He grew up during the formation of a new country, Russia, a pivotal and challenging time for many in the post-Soviet space.
Raised by his mother, Vitaly had a difficult childhood without his father, who suffered from alcoholism and later died from his addiction. As a child, Vitaly loved visiting his grandmother in central Ukraine during the holidays. A 1,200-kilometer train journey would take him to a paradise filled with southern plants and fruits, where he could enjoy Ukrainian hospitality.
Vitaly still keeps in touch with his many relatives in Ukraine. From a young age, he was passionate about activism and journalism, writing critical appeals to local authorities. His first articles appeared in local Moscow newspapers when he was just 14, often covering youth events and criticizing local authorities. His dissatisfaction stemmed from the quality of roads, transportation, and services in the Moscow region. At school, Ataev Troshin was always an activist, participating in various cultural events and serving as class president. He also performed in the youth theater Melpomene near Domodedovo airport.
At 15, he founded a youth organization called the «Youth Parliament» in a Moscow suburb, initially supported by local authorities.
However, they soon imposed their own conditions, forcing Vitaly to step away. He received backing from a prominent businessman and activist who supported young people at the time. Under Vitaly’s leadership, the organization focused on cleaning natural areas in the Moscow region, holding youth meetings and cultural events, and studying youth policy.
Ataev Troshin soon joined the youth wing of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, gaining access to the country’s top officials. Members of his organization regularly attended events at the State Duma and other public forums on social and political issues.
At 16, Vitaly enrolled in the «Obraz» acting school in northern Moscow and aimed to get a scholarship at a performing arts university. After failing the entrance exams at four major institutions, he instead enrolled in the directing program at the Russian State University of Cinematography (VGIK)
During his university studies, Vitaly decided to move to the UK to start a new life and reconsider his activism work. It became dangerous to continue his activities due to local authorities’ criticism. After living in England for about a year, he decided to return to Russia, finish his studies, and find a job in civil aviation. In 2009, Ataev Troshin started working for Russia’s main airline, Aeroflot, at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow. A few months later, he joined the in-flight passenger service department as a flight attendant on international flights.
A year later, he faced problems with management due to their poor treatment of employees and decided to transfer to Transaero, Russia’s first commercial airline. Over the following years, Vitaly worked as a flight attendant, traveling the world on long assignments while continuing to write articles for Russian media and social networks.
In 2014, Vitaly founded two official media outlets in Moscow to unite active citizens and address local issues. In 2015, his first free newspapers were published, mostly funded out of his pocket with support from other activists.
That same year, Ataev Troshin ran in the municipal elections of the Domodedovo urban district in Moscow Region as a candidate for head. He had to fight his way and involve lawyers to get on the ballot. With the help of old connections and local residents, Vitaly overcame the bureaucratic obstacles but did not win the election.
During his campaign, Vitaly traveled around the district daily, talking to residents. His mother, Tamara Shvab, was present as an observer during the vote count, supporting her son. After the unsuccessful elections, Vitaly continued his media activities, distributing his newspapers, covering events in Moscow, and publishing a local history book called New Moscow in 2017.
Vitaly remains an active journalist, editor, and staunch opponent of the wars in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. After his Ukrainian grandmother Maria Troshina’s death, he continues to visit Ukraine and support relatives in the war-torn country. He began traveling to the United States at a young age, often exploring new places and nature, with California being his favorite destination.
In 2016, Vitaly moved to California due to family circumstances, having visited the West Coast many times as a tourist. Immigration was challenging as he had to find new sources of income. The airline where Vitaly worked went bankrupt due to the war in Ukraine in 2014. Until March 2016, Ataev Troshin received his salary intermittently, but remained an employee of his beloved company.
In 2016, while on vacation in California, he was scheduled to fly back to Moscow from Los Angeles. When his airline, Transaero, canceled the flight, Vitaly demanded a free flight from Russian authorities. He staged a hunger strike at the Aeroflot check-in counter, sharing the news with colleagues in Russia and the USA.
On the same day, Aeroflot management decided to fly Vitaly back to Russia, and he managed to take a direct flight to Moscow. This news was widely covered by Russian and American media. After returning to Moscow, Vitaly continued his strike, demanding that President Putin save his airline.
He met Putin at a journalist conference, but the president dismissed his concerns about civil aviation problems due to sanctions following the Ukraine war. Ataev Troshin went on a hunger strike for over a week, losing significant weight in his effort to draw attention to civil aviation issues in Russia. After his protest failed, Vitaly began having problems with authorities, which continue to this day.
Vitaly continued his activism in California, organizing many protests and supporting actions against Russian officials. In 2018, he actively advocated for the expulsion of Russian diplomats from American soil, and his efforts were successful.
Then-President Donald Trump ordered the closure of the Russian consulate and the expulsion of all diplomats. While Ataev Troshin did not call for such actions, he appreciated Trump’s initiative. Vitaly was the last to hold a picket in support of Alexei Navalny’s candidacy at the Russian consulate in San Francisco. The famous Russian opposition leader was supposed to run in the Russian presidential elections but was killed in prison.
Throughout these years, Vitaly continued traveling the world, building a new life in America, and visiting Moscow for his media activities and personal matters. With such a busy schedule, it was challenging to find stable work in California, so Vitaly took various job offers. He managed to work in aviation again, this time as ground staff at Los Angeles and Sacramento airports. In 2020, Vitaly had the idea to create an online media outlet, Russian California, to share news from the Golden State in Russian. Throughout these years, Ataev Troshin traveled around California almost daily, constantly posting about local residents and amazing places.
Vitaly has a deep love for California and quickly bought a house in the south of the state at a great price, considering it a lucky break. He is thrilled with local life and opportunities for personal development and is grateful to all who supported him over the years.
Vitaly continues his activities in Russia, but last visited Moscow during the New Year holidays before the full-scale war against Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. His new job at Slavic Sacramento, a popular Slavic media outlet in California under the auspices of UC Berkeley, opened up new opportunities.
Since September 2023, Ataev Troshin has been writing and filming more stories on various topics in California. He often covers stories about immigrants from the post-Soviet space, global climate change issues, new environmental technologies, and interviews with celebrities, while also addressing LGBTQ and democracy issues. Vitaly believes that journalism can solve many problems faced by Californians, but it requires uniting communities and fighting against foreign propaganda.
Ataev Troshin sees a significant threat in how people from the post-Soviet space view American life through the lens of Russian state propaganda. He believes that California and American authorities should support ethnic media in the Golden State, which continue to fight against endless lies and aggressive rhetoric towards Ukraine, Israel, and other free democracies.
At the end of 2025, Vitaly Ataev Troshin concluded his collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley and the Slavic Sacramento media project. After completing this stage of his professional work, he continued to live and work in California, focusing on developing his own independent media projects.
Vitaly continues to actively report on events in the United States, the post-Soviet space, Europe, and other parts of the world. At the same time, he remains especially focused on California, which he considers his home and the center of his journalistic work.
Ataev Troshin travels throughout the Golden State, telling stories about the people who live there. His work highlights not only immigrants from the former Soviet Union, but also longtime residents of California and Americans who were born and raised in the United States. He regularly covers unusual places, local traditions, social issues, and important community events.
Through his journalism, Vitaly continues doing what he has always done — documenting the lives of people, supporting local communities, and helping residents stay informed about what is happening around them. His work remains focused on strengthening connections between communities and keeping people aware of important developments at the local level.
