The governor of the Smolensk region Alexei Ostrovsky in his youth photographed pimps and sell boys.

In the editorial office "Bloknot.ru" was number to Time magazine the American from 21 June 1993. It published a photo essay of the young Alexei Ostrovsky (now the governor of the Smolensk region) on child prostitution in the capital of Russia. This "skeleton in the closet" a prominent figure in the Liberal Democratic Party quite well known, but the first pictures were not published on the Internet.

By order of the popular publication Alexei Ostrovsky in Moscow took a photo session working everyday Russian pimp. The photographs captured for sale in the middle of the day 11-year-old boys - Dima, Volodya and Marika - with make-up and dressed in the dress. According to legend, a former farmer Sasha turned into children's bodies merchant. As a reward for the successful work of feeding pimp their Russian national dish - soup.

- I'm helping children - Sasha recognized in the article. - Work profitable, the children are happy.

The illustrations accompanying the text journalist Michael Serrilla how in just a few years, former superpower with nuclear weapons degraded to the level of the Asian countries of the third world, where child prostitution for western sex tourists has become commonplace.

Next to Time competitors - journalists Washington Post - have exposed the dirty fake. According to them, 17-year-old photographer Alexey Ostrovsky for fees in hard currency went on staging a photo shoot. Moreover, one of the photos with a special cynicism is made against the background of a symbol of the Russian statehood and spirituality - St. Basil's Cathedral.

Photo report to Time published in June 21, and the exposure in the Washington Post published three months later, September 11, 1993. It citing Moscow police contained the statement that "the report is a falsification, and the photographer in an interview admitted that he is not sure that the children are prostitutes." In turn, the children told reporters that Ostrovsky paid them and filmed the fake report.

Later, Alexei Ostrovsky began his political career in the Liberal Democratic Party. First there was the assistant-photographer Vladimir Zhirinovsky led the press service of the LDPR faction in the State Duma. Three times - in 2003, 2007 and 2011 - elected deputy of the State Duma from the Liberal Democratic Party. In April 2012, it was approved by the Smolensk Regional Duma in the post of the governor of the Smolensk region.

Alexei Ostrovsky is the governor of the Smolensk region from 26 April 2012.