Photos from last week's party at Moscow's famous nightclub Mutabor, among others: Philip Kirkorov, Lolita and Dima Bilan – stars of Russian pop music, as well as Ksenia Sobchak – TV presenter and presidential candidate in 2018.
The event was organized by Anastasia Ivleeva, a Russian celebrity with 18 million followers on Instagram. Guests were encouraged to come scantily clad or naked, and they did so, according to photos posted on Russian social media.
“Feast in Plague Times”
The event did not go down well with Russian conservatives and supporters of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ekaterina Misulina, head of the Free Internet League, an organization loyal to the Kremlin, criticized the event and called on the public to criticize its participants. The participants of the event, according to Mizulina, “live in a different world than other Russians.”
Maria Putina, a member of the “United Russia” party (the woman was detained in the United States in 2018 on espionage charges), called on the Russian authorities to investigate the event and check whether those participating in the event were violating the “gay” law. Propaganda” and Putin's Decree on “Traditional Russian Moral and Spiritual Values”.
Russian Duma member Nina Ostanina called on the prosecutor's office to punish those who attended a “feast during plague times” – regardless of their celebrity status.
“I Condemn Supporters of the LGBT Movement”
On December 21, the second day of Ivleeva's party, police raided the Mutabor club in Moscow. Russian Telegram channel “Pasa” reported that the party resumed after the police raid and the guests continued to party “more dressed up” than the day before.
On Friday, December 22, a Moscow court detained rapper Nikolai Vasiliyev from Yekaterinburg, nicknamed “Vacio”, for 15 days and fined him PLN 200,000. rubles (over PLN 8,000) for “homosexual propaganda”.
At the party, she wore only sneakers and socks that covered her genitalia. Vasiliev later appeared in a video released by state news agency RIA Novosti, apologizing for allegedly supporting the LGBT community. “I do not support the LGBT community in any way. I do not want to promote any propaganda. I condemn the supporters of the LGBT movement,” said Vasiliev.
RIA Novosti also published another version of his apology, in which Vasiliev said he was “sorry for hurting the feelings of many people at such a difficult time for our country.”
Apologies were later sought from other participants of the event.
“There are times in our lives when we walk through the wrong door.”
Initially, Anastasia Ivyeva, the organizer of the event, scoffed at the criticism, suggesting the hypocrisy of public opinion. Then she changed her mind.
“Yes, it was 100% inappropriate. I regret that this happened. I apologize to all the viewers and my guests who unknowingly became participants in what happened in the media. I fully and fully accept my responsibility for what happened,” Ivleeva later said in a statement on the Telegram platform.
Iwlejeva said she wants to donate a portion of the proceeds from the event to charity. Meanwhile, the Russian Federal Tax Service has already launched an investigation into the celebrity's actions.
Ekaterina Misulina, head of the “League of the Free Internet”, said that “there is every possibility that it will end with the initiation of a criminal case”, which is carried out based on the materials collected by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. affairs.
Others who attended the event also express their grief.
On Tuesday, pop star Philip Kirkorov also apologized for attending a show organized by Ivleeva.
Alexander Nemenov / AFP / AFP
Russian pop star Philip Kirkorov
“It happens in each of our lives that we cross the wrong threshold. In these troubled times, my talented artist, the people's artist, cannot and should not be irresponsible in participating in various events. Kirkorov said.
“The last thing I want is for this negligence of mine to be the reason for the banning of my art in Russia,” said the Russian celebrity.
“Stupid Accident”
Another singer, Lolita, said in a video she posted that she did not expect the furore the event would cause, and that her concerts had been canceled and appearances on pre-recorded New Year's Eve TV shows had been removed from the schedule.
“If anyone feels offended, I apologize. I don't want to cause hatred and anger towards myself and other artists because of this stupid accident,” said Ksenia Sobchak, a prominent Russian journalist who ran for president of Russia in 2018.
Almost all of the artists suggested in their statements that they disapproved of rapper Wasio's behavior.
The Kremlin is trying to strengthen its power by appealing to the “traditional values” of the Russian people. This event took place during the invasion of Ukraine, during which Russia lost many soldiers.
A recent US intelligence report estimated that the war in Ukraine cost Russia 315,000. Soldiers killed and wounded, That is almost 90 percent. The number of troops Russia had at the beginning of the conflict.
Throughout this period, officials in Moscow sought to instill a sense of normalcy among Russians after the war—among other things, a disillusioned normalcy. Due to compulsory mobilization of personnel in the force last year.
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