Statement by the Yabloko Bureau, 25.08.2022

Photo: Zakhar Prilepin / Photo by Irina Buzhor, Kommersant

On 3 August, “an introductory meeting of the working group on the investigation of anti-state activities in culture (GRAD)” was held in the State Duma, under the chairmanship of Zakhar Prilepin, Co-Chairman of the A Just Russia – For Truth party, setting the task: “identifying the mechanisms of foreign influence in the field of culture and developing measures for the implementation of the state policy in the field of culture”.

This group created the web-site gradkult.ru, which proposes to include certain public figures in the field of culture in the “lists of agents of foreign influence”, reporting on the “agent or accomplice”.

The group intends to “make all such facts public and submit them to the competent authorities for consideration”.

Among those who have already been called “agents” or “accomplices” are TV presenter Ivan Urgant, the rock group Bi-2, director Alexander Molochnikov, and even the General Director of Channel One Konstantin Ernst (as Ivan Urgant’s “accomplice”), and Vladimir Urin, Director of the Bolshoi Theatre, (as Molochnikov’s “accomplice”). Also, a list of public figures in the field of culture who did not support the “special operation” in Ukraine was compiled, and who, according to members of the group, should either publicly support the “special operation” or quit their positions.

Among these are director Vladimir Khotinenko, Presidential Adviser on the issues of culture Vladimir Tolstoy, ex-Press Secretary of Dmitry Medvedev Natalya Timakova, director Fyodor Bondarchuk, director Klim Shipenko, actor Danila Kozlovsky, Artistic Director of the Mossovet Theatre Yevgeny Marchelli and others.

The Yabloko Party thinks that such initiatives return our country to the darkest models of the totalitarian past. We would like to remind that the Great Terror of 1937 began with similar initiatives against some members of the Soviet leadership.

The legislation of Russia does not contain the concept of “anti-state activities”, does not oblige a citizen to support the actions of state bodies, and reserves the unconditional right to critically evaluate them for the citizen.

The proposed initiative represents an open incitement of hatred and enmity.

The Yabloko party believes that the political leadership of the country should give a clear and distinct negative assessment of such initiatives, which, in our opinion, fall under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of Russia.

Nikolai Rybakov,

Yabloko Chairman