Anna Buyanova, Whose 'No Money' Meme Criticized Russian Pensions, Dies at 60

The Death of Anna Buyanova

According to Главком: Anna Buyanova, the pensioner who became famous for the 'No money, but you hang in there' meme following her 2016 appeal to then-Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, has died. She passed away on August 2, 2025, at the age of 60 after suffering two strokes. Buyanova lived in the village of Novopokrovka, where her primary income came from a small household farm raising poultry and growing vegetables and fruit.

Her public notoriety stemmed from a complaint about low pensions directly addressed to Medvedev. The meeting with the Prime Minister took place in Feodosia, in the temporarily occupied Crimea. Following this appeal, her pension was increased, but the amount was six times smaller than what had been promised, leading to further disillusionment with the pension system.

Life and Legacy

Anna Buyanova had 30 years of work history. Little was known about her life in the six years preceding her death. She is survived by her younger son, Nikolai, who recalled:

'She worked in various places. She worked in a canteen. Then she was on a pension. She no longer had the household farm, so as not to strain herself.'

She suffered her first stroke in April 2024, followed by a second at the end of July that same year.

Buyanova's death comes amid ongoing discussions in Russia about a new pension model, which proposes directing up to 3% of personal income tax directly to support a taxpayer's parents. Against this backdrop, the 'No money, but you hang in there' meme remains a potent symbol of the country's persistent low-pension problem. The phrase originated from Medvedev's widely criticized response to her plea during a staged public meeting.

The memory of Anna Buyanova and her words, 'There's simply no money. We'll find the money, we'll do the indexation. You hang in there, all the best, good mood to you,' endures for many.

Her passing underscores the continuing social challenges faced by pensioners in Russia. Her story became a symbol of the struggle for fairness in pension provision, a topic that remains critically important in society. With new pension initiatives on the table, the situation surrounding pension payments will continue to spark debate and potentially drive policy changes.