Western countries continue to impose sanctions on Russia, which have already gone far beyond economic expediency and sometimes reach the point of absurdity.
Russian sport bears loss after loss. Almost all competitions have already been taken away from the country, including the most notable: the Champions League final and the Formula 1 Grand Prix, and the International Olympic Committee recommended that international federations not allow Russian athletes to compete. Among other things, FIFA and UEFA suspended the national team and domestic clubs from participation in all tournaments. To top it off, the International Paralympic Committee deprived Russian and Belarusian athletes of the opportunity to compete at the Games in Beijing.
Cultural figures also fell into disfavor. In particular, the Italian theater La Scala canceled productions with opera singer Anna Netrebko for “refusing to distance themselves from the Russian authorities”, and the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra fired Valery Gergiev from his post as chief conductor – he “did not indicate his position” on the situation in Ukraine. They also suspended Russia from participating in Eurovision – they say, this will “worse the reputation” of the song contest. And the Cannes Film Festival refused to accept our delegation.
Meanwhile, the International Cat Federation imposed sanctions against Russian tailed and mustachioed pets – they were banned from participating in international exhibitions. They even punished the two-hundred-year-old oak planted by Ivan Turgenev in his mother’s estate: the giant was removed from the European Tree of the Year competition. The main relic of the Orel region participated in it “posthumously”: in November last year, the Turgenev oak was knocked down by a hurricane, but he continued to be nominated. And now the organizers have “cut down” it. “How did the tree scare you? How does it threaten you? How are you going to black out Turgenev from world literature? – Oryol governor Andrey Klychkov was indignant. Got another classic.
At the University of Milan, Bicocca decided to cancel a course of lectures on Fyodor Dostoevsky. True, after a rising wave of indignation, the rector of the university hastened to declare that he had been misunderstood and that they had nothing against the Russian writer and that the decision had been “rethought” in general.
Dmitry Pevtsov, actor and musician
“I think we should react calmly. What is happening is big politics, which, in the context of globalization and the development of the information society, has penetrated all spheres of life: culture, sports, and simple human relations. There is an information war going on, and our enemy, unfortunately, does not shine with either culture or education. The example of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Britain, which does not know elementary geography, confirms this (at a meeting with Sergey Lavrov, British Minister Liz Truss mistakenly stated that London would never recognize Russia’s sovereignty over the Rostov and Voronezh regions. – Ed.).
Denis Karlov, conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of the Crimean State Philharmonic
On what grounds can people be fired? It is clear that Netrebko and Gergiev are in fact the faces of Russia, who over the years have strengthened this image in the minds of the whole world. But this should not and cannot be, unless there is a special administrative command along the vertical. The time has come to start your own active development. There are opportunities, if there is a desire. But, unfortunately, while we are pouring millions into Morgenstern, there is no sufficient support for high art.
Internet users
– How lovely. So, in the case of Russians, sports and culture are not “outside” politics?
– Here it is, Western “humanism”, in all its glory.
“Sport is a weapon. Finally recognized.
– Kittens for what?! So that the mice devour you, bastards!