Vitaly on 9-month detention in PH: 'They really tried to break me but it built me'

By Gideon Tinsay Published Jan 21, 2026 11:14 am

Russian vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy shared his experience of being detained in the Philippines after being arrested for unjust vexation.

"After 290 days in the [Philippines] jail with rats, cockroaches, and +35 Celsius weather, I am finally free," he captioned an Instagram post on Wednesday, Jan. 21, sharing pictures of his incarceration at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

"They really tried to break me, but it built me," he said.

Included in his carousel of photos and videos is his bunker bed space, a view of the cramped prison facility, a video of him commenting on an alleged daily ration of tuna and rice, him sitting in a bible study session, videos of his arrival in Russia after deportation, a view of the sea, and a manipulated photo of him in a bikini.

"Out of the 290 days, I spent 91 days in complete Isolation. They wanted me gone but I’m here, all glory to GOD! Without faith, it wouldn’t be possible," he added.

He also went on to thank people who supported him during his time in prison.

"Your boy is BACK!" he continued, hinting at a next video project detailing his whole experience in the country. "Full documentary coming soon!"

The 33-year-old vlogger was arrested in Pasay City in June last year and was deported to Russia on Jan. 17.

He was apprehended for harassing and disrespecting Filipinos in Bonifacio Global City for content. In a viral vlog, he can be seen harassing a security guard in Bonifacio Global City, cursing at a masked Filipino woman, stealing an electric fan, and stowing away on a tricycle that soon crashed.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said Zdorovetskiy’s name ís now in the bureau’s blacklist.

Vitaly had been arrested multiple times for his publicity stunts. In 2016, he was nabbed for illegally climbing the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles. In 2020, he was jailed for climbing one of the Pyramids of Giza, and in April of the same year, he was charged with aggravated battery for assaulting a woman who was jogging in Miami.