A Russian tourist has been kicked out of Bali after posting a half-naked photo of himself on a mountain considered sacred on the Indonesian island, officials said Wednesday.
The tourist island’s governor recently vowed to crack down on law-breaking by tourists and activities seen as undermining the predominantly Hindu island’s traditions.
The 24-year-old Russian, known as ‘Yuri Chilikin’ on social media, posed naked from the waist down on Mount Agung, a volcano considered the island’s highest peak and the abode of the gods by Hindus.
He was deported to Moscow via Dubai on Tuesday and banned from entering Indonesia for six months, Bali’s immigration office said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Respect the rules and enjoy the beauty of nature (…) in Bali,” advised Baron Ichan, an immigration official quoted in the text. In case of violation, we will not hesitate to take decisive action.
A young Russian man was detained and questioned when the photo surfaced on social media last month. He asked for forgiveness and took part in the purification ritual before the holy mountain.
Yuri Cilicin posted a photo on his Instagram account on Monday, stressing that he “did everything to fix the situation” and that it was “a good lesson on how not to behave.”
Complaints about the behavior of tourists have increased in Bali in recent weeks, with Balinese in particular pointing to Russians as frequent troublemakers.
Bali Governor Wayne Koster last month formally requested the government to remove Russia and Ukraine from the list of countries eligible for visas on arrival.
Last year, a Canadian actor was kicked out of Bali after he posted a video of himself dancing the New Zealand traditional dance Haka naked on Bali’s Mount Batur.
