"There Is No Money, But You Hold On": A Woman From Crimea To Whom Medvedev Said This Has Died

• 20.04.2026, 21:13

Anna Buyanova posed an uncomfortable question to the then prime minister of the Russian Federation in 2016.

Russian pensioner Anna Buyanova, to whom Dmitry Medvedev used to say "There is no money, but you hold on," has died, the "Post" project reported.

The "There is no money, but you hold on" meme emerged in 2016, when then-Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visited Feodosia in occupied Crimea. He was then surrounded by a crowd of residents. 60-year-old Anna Buyanova was outraged at the size of her pension, and Medvedev made excuses.

"There is simply no money. We'll find the money, we'll do the indexing. You hang in there, have a good day, have a good mood," were Medvedev's words, but they were shortened to a well-known expression.

Buyanova lived in the village of Novopokrovka. The farm was the main source of her income: she kept poultry, grew vegetables and fruits. Anna has 30 years of labor experience. After the meeting with Medvedev, she received a pension increase, but it was 6 times less than promised.

Reporters visited Anna several times. But for the last six years nothing was known about her life.

"She worked in different places. She worked in a canteen. She was retired. The household was no longer there so as not to strain her," said Buyanova's youngest son Nikolai. According to him, her pension was raised by 500 rubles, special social assistance for his mother, he does not recall.

In April last year, Anna had her first stroke, in late July - the second. Buyanova died on August 2, 2025.