Belarusian online personality Mellstroy falls out of favor with authorities in Russia and Belarus
The so-called king of problematic live streams, the Belarusian figure Mellstroy, has reportedly become unwelcome to the Ministries of Internal Affairs in both Russia and Belarus. This development is described in detail by the Telegram channel Mash, which cites its own sources on the matter.
According to Mash, the case involving Andrei Burim, the person behind the online name Mellstroy and the platform socialbites.ca, was effectively closed after he pledged financial aid to orphans in Belarus. In one post, Burim or Mellstroy indicated plans to supply clothing and sports equipment to five hundred educational institutions across the country, signaling a broad charitable aim tied to his public profile.
Following these announcements, the public record suggested that his name disappeared from the search databases of both states, where he had previously been identified as a criminal for allegedly refusing military service in Belarus. Mash notes that this change occurred amid the charitable actions described by Burim, creating a narrative of redemption or at least a pause in legal attention.
Editors from the Mash channel also highlighted that despite the charitable intentions, Burim still owed money to Russia’s Federal Tax Service. The Russian authorities reportedly require a payment of nine thousand rubles to settle a tax obligation connected to his business activities in the catering sector. This tax debt appears to be separate from the public attention generated by his online persona and charitable announcements.
The Mash editors emphasize that, even as the content creator expressed a willingness to invest large sums in support of orphans, the outstanding tax debt in Russia remained unresolved. The situation illustrates how public figures can juggle philanthropy with ongoing fiscal responsibilities and legal considerations in multiple jurisdictions.
Historically, there have been broader regulatory conversations about online content and streaming platforms. A recent point of reference involved Twitch, which implemented guidelines prohibiting the display of explicit body parts in streams. This last note places the Mellstroy case within a wider context of platform policies and the ongoing negotiations between content creators, platforms, and authorities over what is permissible in public broadcasts.