The Giza Pyramids in Egypt are an ancient, reverential site and one of the world’s most well-known tourist attractions. Not everyone shows them the respect they deserve, however. Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, a social media influencer with over three million followers, showed a complete disregard for Egypt’s cultural heritage when he posted a photo of himself on top of one of the complex’s pyramids.
Instagrammer Thrown in Jail for Climbing One of Giza’s Pyramids
Along with the photo, he wrote, “No words can explain what I just went through the past 5 days. I was locked up in Egypt because I climbed the Pyramids Of Giza. I’ve been in Jail many times but this one was by far the very worst. I saw horrible things and I don’t wish this upon anybody. Was it worth it? F**K YEAH! I did it for a good cause and soon I’m going to share the whole video so the whole world can see.”
Although the stunt did land him in jail, it also produced the desired effect of garnering extensive media coverage. For social media influencers, especially those who trade in controversy and shock value, negative coverage and condemnation is considered a success. In exchange for a few days in jail, Zdorovetskiy will probably receive thousands of new followers.
Jail time and media condemnation won’t dissuade Zdorovetskiy from pulling more stunts like this. The only thing that will? Stop talking about him.