Fisht Stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Her selection as a torch bearer generated controversy in the international media because of her alleged close relationship with President Vladimir Putin. In 2015, Kabaeva was an honorary guest at the 2015 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. In 2017, she became the official FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics Ambassador at the 2017 World Championships in Pesaro, Italy. Political and media careers Since 2005, Kabaeva has been a member of the Public Chamber of Russia. Since February 2008, she has been chairwoman of the Public Council of the , the media group that controls Izvestia, Channel One and REN TV. Between 2007 and 2014, Kabaeva was a Member of the Russian Parliament, the State Duma, representing the United Russia party. In her capacity as a Member of Parliament, she voted for a number of controversial laws that were speedily adopted in 2012 and 2013, including the Anti-Magnitsky bill banning inter-country adoption (of Russian orphans) by families in the United States, as well as the Russian gay propaganda law making the distribution of "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships" among minors a punishable offense, the extrajudicial ban on access to websites which may host materials violating copyright laws, and the reorganization of the Academy of Sciences. In September 2014, Kabaeva resigned from the Duma and accepted the position of chair of the board of directors of the National Media Group, the largest Russian media conglomerate. She has faced criticism for her lack of experience and high salary when appointed to political and media posts. Other ventures In 2001, Kabaeva appeared in the Japanese movie, Red Shadow, performing a gymnastics routine. In January 2011, Kabaeva appeared on the cover of Vogue Russia. In the same month, she launched her singing career, taking to the stage for the first time. Sanctions Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, sanctions were imposed on numerous Russian political and business leaders. In April 2022, the United States Department of the Treasury prepared sanctions against Kabaeva, however the United States government withheld the sanctions for fear of escalating tensions between Russia and the United States due to her alleged relationship with Putin. The Office of Foreign Assets Control added Kabaeva to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List on 3 August 2022, which results in her assets being frozen and U.S. persons being prohibited from dealing with her.