There is a rapper who went to a party with only a sock to cover himself, and he has been sentenced to 15 days in jail. As a result of his actions, several well-known entertainers in Russia have lost their contracts, and there are reports that President Vladimir Putin is not pleased. The party took place at a Moscow nightclub and has caused a significant backlash, especially since Russia is currently in conflict with Ukraine and the government is promoting a more conservative social agenda.
There is a video of Putin’s spokesperson receiving an explanation from the stars involved, and there are reports that soldiers fighting in Ukraine were among the first to complain about the event. Photos from the party reached Putin and he was not impressed.
Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, apologized for not publicly commenting on the scandal. Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said that those who participated in the event have “stained” themselves but still have a chance to make amends.
The backlash from the authorities, pro-Kremlin lawmakers, bloggers, state media, and Orthodox Church groups has been dominating the news in Russia. The party was held at a nightclub in Moscow and was organized by blogger Anastasia (Nastya) Ivleeva, and attended by well-known singers.
Ivleeva, who has become one of Russia’s most well-known names, has issued two public apology videos. As a result of her involvement, her name has been removed from the public face of major Russian mobile phone operator MTS, and the tax authorities have opened an investigation against her.
She has since also been sued by a group of individuals demanding she pay 1 billion roubles for “moral suffering”. They want the money to be given to a state fund that supports Ukraine war veterans.
“To hold such events at a time when our guys are dying in the (Ukrainian) special military operation and many children are losing their fathers is cynical,” said Yekaterina Mizulina, director of Russia’s League for a Safe Internet, a body founded with the authorities’ support.
“Our soldiers on the front line are definitely not fighting for this.” Many famous participants have recorded apologies, including journalist Ksenia Sobchak.
This scandal is happening during a time when Putin is focusing on social conservatism and after Russia’s Supreme Court ruled that LGBT activists should be designated as “extremists.” A rapper who was at the party wearing only a sock was jailed for 15 days and fined 200,000 roubles for propagating “non-traditional sexual relations.”
Many other famous individuals have had concerts and TV airtime cancelled, contracts with sponsors revoked, and have been removed from a new film.
The scandal has also angered supporters of Russia’s war in Ukraine, with one woman saying that the stars should pay for prosthetic legs for her nephew who lost both legs in combat.
($1 = 91.6205 roubles) (Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Stephen Coates)
