--- title: "Sudden death of Sergey Sosedov: how the critic and former 'X Factor' judge, included in Ukrainian sanctions, passed away" description: "The 58-year-old Russian music critic and former 'X Factor' judge Sergey Sosedov, included in Ukraine's sanctions list, died suddenly in Neryungri during a tour." date: 2026-09-23T19:04:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/sergey-sosedov-death-music-critic tags: [sergey-sosedov, music-critic, x-factor, ukraine-sanctions, journalist-death] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Sudden death of Sergey Sosedov: how the critic and former 'X Factor' judge, included in Ukrainian sanctions, passed away ![Sergey Sosyodov, former X-Factor judge and music critic, in a business suit during an interview](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/24/sergey-sosedov-umer-muzykalnyy-kritik/sergey-sosedov-umer-muzykalnyy-kritik-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Sergey Sosedov, 58, died in Neryungri (Yakutia) during a tour; the death was announced by Vadim Takmenev. - According to media reports, he fell down a staircase, sustained an injury, and died of brain swelling; the exact circumstances have not been officially confirmed. - Sosedov was known as a judge of 'X Factor' on STB (2010–2015) and a participant of the show 'Sharks of the Pen'. - In January 2023, he was included in Ukraine's sanctions list of 198 cultural figures for a period of 10 years. In Neryungri (Yakutia), Russian journalist, music critic, and former judge of the vocal show "X Factor" Sergey Sosedov died suddenly during a tour. He was 58 years old. The death of his colleague was announced by TV presenter Vadim Takmenev. According to Russian media reports, the incident occurred during a tour: Sosedov fell down a staircase, sustained an injury, as a result of which a brain swelling developed that was incompatible with life. ### Circumstances of death According to reports from Russian publications, the critic was in Neryungri on a tour when he fell down a staircase. The injury sustained in the fall led to brain swelling and a swift death. Official authorities, according to available data, have not published detailed conclusions on the exact circumstances of the incident, so some details rely on reports from colleagues and the media. ### Path into the profession Sergey Sosedov was born on May 23, 1968, in Moscow. He began his professional career in journalism, working at the newspaper "Gudok"; his first interview, published in 1989, was given by the singer Edita Pecheyeva. In 1996 he graduated from the Faculty of Journalism at Moscow State University, after which he worked as a music reviewer and critic in various publications. ### Television and "X Factor" Widespread fame came to Sosedov through the television program "Sharks of the Pen." He then regularly appeared in music and entertainment projects in the role of an expert and jury member. In Ukraine he was known as one of the judges of the vocal show "X Factor," which aired on the STB channel: he worked on the project from 2010 to 2015. In recent years the critic worked mainly on Russian television. ### Pro-Russian rhetoric and sanctions In 2014, in an interview with Kateryna Osadcha, Sosedov stated that Crimea is Russia and justified the annexation. Later he criticized Ukraine's policy toward Russian artists, and in 2019 he called Ukraine "sick" because of its unwillingness to accept "neighbors." After the start of the full-scale invasion, his rhetoric remained pro-Russian: he claimed that Ukraine was allegedly "run by the US" and is a "bridgehead against Russia," and also criticized Russian artists who left the Russian Federation and spoke out against the war. In January 2023, Sosedov was included in Ukraine's sanctions list — a list of 198 Russian figures in culture and the media sphere, against whom restrictions were imposed for a period of 10 years. ### Contradictory data Although the fact of death itself has been confirmed by colleagues and several publications, the exact circumstances and cause of the fall down the staircase remain not fully established. Some sources characterize the death as "sudden," others point to an injury in the fall and subsequent brain swelling, while individual publications speak only of a "possible cause" of the fall, not officially confirmed. Thus, the version involving the staircase and brain swelling relies on media and colleague reports, not on a published official conclusion, and may be clarified as the investigation proceeds. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Putinist Sergey Sosedov dies suddenly in Russia: what is known](https://wave.rbc.ua/ukr/stars/rosiyi-raptovo-pomer-putinist-sergiy-sosedov-1790189984.html) - Подтверждает факт смерти, биографию, работу на «Х-Факторе» (2010–2015), пророссийскую риторику и включение в санкционный список Украины в январе 2023 (198 деятелей, 10 лет). - [Fell down a staircase on tour: music critic Sergey Sosedov dies at 58](https://www.trud.ru/article/23-09-2026/1839331_upal_s_lestnitsy_na_gastroljax_muzykalnyj_kritik_sergej_sosedov_umer_v_58_let.html) - Указывает возраст 58 лет и версию падения с лестницы на гастролях; обстоятельства не подтверждены официально. - [Possible cause of Sosedov's fatal fall down a staircase revealed](https://news.ru/culture/raskryta-prichina-padeniya-sosedova-s-lestnicy-na-gastrolyah) - Говорит о «возможной причине» падения, что подтверждает отсутствие окончательного официального заключения. - [Music critic Sergey Sosedov dies](https://iznanka.news/articles/Poslednee/Umer-muzykalnyy-kritik-Sergey-Sosedov.html) - Подтверждает факт смерти музыкального критика Сергея Соседова. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who is Sergey Sosedov and what was he known for? **A:** Sergey Sosedov was a Russian journalist and music critic, known for the show 'Sharks of the Pen' and for his work as a judge on the vocal show 'X Factor' on the STB channel (2010–2015). He was born on May 23, 1968, in Moscow, and graduated from the Faculty of Journalism at Moscow State University in 1996. ### Q: Under what circumstances did he die? **A:** According to media reports, Sosedov died at the age of 58 in Neryungri (Yakutia) during a tour: he fell down a staircase, sustained an injury, as a result of which brain swelling developed. Official authorities have not published a detailed conclusion, so the exact circumstances have not been confirmed. ### Q: Why was he included in Ukraine's sanctions list? **A:** In January 2023, Sosedov was included in a list of 198 Russian figures in culture and the media sphere, against whom Ukraine imposed restrictions for a period of 10 years. Earlier, he had publicly justified the annexation of Crimea and maintained pro-Russian rhetoric.