An almost naked party in a Moscow nightclub at a time when Russia is at war with Ukraine and the authorities are pursuing increasingly conservative social policies has provoked an unusually strong backlash – jail sentences, fines, and harsh criticism, on Thursday, the 28th of December, reports Reuters.
The strong reaction from the authorities, pro-Kremlin lawmakers and bloggers, state media and Orthodox Church groups has dominated headlines for several days, replacing stories about rising egg prices and inflation in Russia.
A video of Putin’s spokesman listening to a attendee of the party explaining himself went viral. The news portal Baza, which has contacts with the security services, reported that troops in Ukraine were among the first to complain about the party and that photographs of the event were leaked to President Putin, who was reportedly not impressed.
Yekaterina Mizulina, director of the Russian organisation League for a Secure Internet, criticised the party as cynical and inappropriate, saying “Our soldiers on the front line are certainly not fighting for this.”
The party at the Mutabor nightclub in Moscow on the 21st of December,
organised by blogger Anastasia Ivleeva, was attended by well-known singers in a variety of nude outfits, who have been the main stars of national TV entertainment programmes for years.
На голой вечеринке Ивлеевой разделись все! Собчак, Киркоров, Лолита — и сама Настя с бриллиантами на жопе?Это не латиноамериканский фестиваль и,даже не рекламные фото борделя средней руки.Скорее медицинский проспект с фото особей ведущих “нездоровый образ жизни “.? pic.twitter.com/qwNMPq2eZ2
— Tavo (@TaavoTeder) December 21, 2023
Ivleeva herself attended the event wearing jewellery worth 23 million roubles (228 288 euros) and has already published two apology videos after the event. In the second apology video, published on the 27th of December, the blogger expressed her regret, admitted that she deserved to be punished and expressed hope for a “second chance”.
She subsequently disappeared as the public face of the Russian mobile operator MTS. The tax authorities have launched an investigation into a possible five-year jail sentence, and a Moscow court has accepted a claim from a group of individuals demanding that Ivleeva pay one billion roubles (9 927 359 euro) for “moral suffering,” if case of success, the group wants money to go to a state fund to support Ukrainian war veterans.
APOLOGY VIDEOS HAVE BEEN POSTED BY MANY FAMOUS ATTENDEES OF THE PARTY,
including journalist Ksenia Sobchak, Putin’s goddaughter, former presidential candidate and whose late father Anatoly was once Putin’s friend and boss.
Russian rapper Nikolai Vasilyev (Vacio), who attended the party wearing only a sock, was sentenced to 15 days in prison and fined 200 000 roubles (1 985 euros) for propaganda of “non-traditional sexual relations,” as per Reuters.
Other celebrities had their concerts cancelled, lost lucrative national television airtime, sponsorship deals were revoked and at least one celebrity was reportedly denied the opportunity to star in a new film.
Supporters of Russia’s war in Ukraine are also outraged. One woman, whose nephew lost both legs in battle, had suggested that celebrities should better pay for prosthetic legs for her nephew as an apology.
The scandal erupted at a time when Putin has emphasised social conservatism, campaigned for large families and, in a recent Supreme Court ruling, labelled LGBT activists “extremists”.
Also read: Russian Supreme Court bans “LGBT movement”, declares it “extremist”
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