Moscow's domestic frontline targets culture

Faced with the invasion of Ukraine, the political and information strategists are studying ways to further harness national culture. They are targeting bloggers, who may be required to have a state licence to operate. A return to "Soviet folklore" instead of "Harry Potter" has been called for.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - Duma deputies and media owners in Russia have proposed forcing bloggers to receive a licence from the state. The initiative emerged during an enlarged meeting of the Parliamentary Committee for Culture, which discussed how to develop art under the conditions imposed by sanctions and military operations. Vladimir Tolstoy, advisor to President Vladimir Putin, explained that 'we need to be able to respond to the meanings and values of today's Russia and avoid opening a new front in the field of culture'.

According to Tolstoy, today there is 'an obvious state position, and there is no need to open other fronts... there is the president's line, we are part of the president's team and we support his course'. He told the meeting's participants that 'in the field of culture, it is very easy to destroy relations, and men of culture must express their positions through performances, films, books, and not through petitions' and that they are expected to 'openly support the present reality', recalling expressions typical of 'Soviet realism' of the last century.

Deputy Aleksandr Šolokov also raised the issue of censorship of culture, whether it was necessary or not: "In situations where the security of the country is at stake, the problems of censorship are solved quickly and very easily. Creativity must be free, but the results of this creativity 'must be subject to appropriate evaluation'. Another member of parliament, former singer Denis Majdanov, warned that many people in Russia had been influenced by the West to the point of 'playing pseudo-democracy, undermining all those involved in culture'. In his view, it is essential to highlight a strong state ideology, taking China as an example.

The Committee members propose a code of ethics for intellectuals and artists, in which it is made clear "what is good and what is bad, and stop playing games". Majdanov complains that 'it is now normal that when an actor appears on stage in any club, he starts swearing and insulting, perhaps in front of an audience of children, and this must not happen again'. Former member of parliament Dmitry Pevtsov also argued that those who appear on stage should be held accountable for what they say: '30 years of distorting values and meanings in Ukraine have borne the fruits we see', and Ukrainians have now become hostile towards Russians, which is why 'we need to work harder, more aggressively on these values'.

According to some of those present, it is necessary today "to organise concerts in the Donbass, to compensate for the criticism of the men of culture of the special military operation", who are to be considered simply "traitors". Those who choose for themselves 'an itinerary of free expression' cannot be considered 'part of the national culture', as Elena Jampolskaya, head of the Duma Council for Culture, noted. This also applies to commercial symbols, such as the closure of McDonald's, with people complaining 'not about the burgers, but about the mindset behind them, that of an inviting force imposing a way of life'.

Another MEP, Elena Drapeko, warns against hastily producing 'a schism between reds and whites; we know artists, they are prone to emotional outbursts, let's let them cool down', so that we can recover as much as possible. "To the fascist ideology of hatred towards humanity, we must counterpose the positive ideology of love and understanding," Drapeko adds, not relying solely on politicians and officials, but bringing in the intellectuals and philosophers who are on the right side.

The Committee's conclusions are very radical, as Gmp Radio president Jurij Kostin summarised: "This is our country, history will tell us whether we are wrong or right, but we live here and we must be on its side". This is why bloggers must also have authorisation, like advertisers, to occupy the space of the internet, "where it seems that everything is allowed". New projects for Russian cinema will be financed, to compensate for the withdrawal of Disney, Sony, Paramount and Universal from the domestic market; the concept for Russian cinema is already ready "until 2030", and aid will also be given for literary activities, especially those aimed at children, returning to "healthy Soviet fairy tale writers".

• russia
• ukraine
• war
• invasion
• culture
• propaganda
• censorship
• bloggers