Russia’s new LGBT law. “We have survived Stalin’s era” |
A new museum was opened in Russia on November 27. However, this museum may be closed within a week. Because the State Duma on November 24 is tougher than before against LGBT “propaganda”. law accepted. The law is expected to enter into force on December 1.
According to this new law, Russia’s first museum of LGBT culture is illegal.
Composer at the entrance to the visitors of the museum Pyotr Tchaikovskywelcomes the portrait of He is said to be the most prominent gay figure in imperial Russia. LGBT activist and historian Pyotr Voskresensky While visiting the Tchaikovsky Museum in Klin, he started thinking about creating an LGBT museum.
“The context of opening the museum is important. Because our country is in the period of transformation into a total dictatorship. And [bu diktatura] It is based on ideology in which history plays a key role. According to the government, our past is our future. In this imaginary past, there are only “traditional values”, there are no LGBT people. – says Voskresensky.
There are about 40 exhibits in Voskresensky’s small museum. Among them were decorative items, jewelry and books that he collected over the years. The purpose of these exhibits is to show that there have been gays in Russia for centuries.
“Traditional values are not only large monogamous families. There were also queer people in this scene.” – says Voskresensky.
New law It is even stricter than Russia’s 2013 LGBT “propaganda” law. This law bans advertisements, films, books, works of art and other materials that “promote non-traditional sexual relations and desires”. Fines against those who violate the rule will be sharply increased to 800,000 rubles (14,000 rubles) for individuals dollars), for legal entities it will reach tens of millions of rubles.
President of “Eksmo-AST” publishing group Oleg Novikov says that the law currently Russia can affect up to 50% of books on the market.
According to activists, the new document could also legalize anti-gay hate speech and actions. Moreover, violence may increase in the country, as it did after the 2013 law.
Voskresensky says that, in fact, it is not correct to call his museum the first LGBT museum in Russia. Because a similar collection was exhibited in St. Petersburg in the 19th century.
“Of course, we will survive any repression. The museum itself is a monument to the fact that we are still alive. We have survived the communists and Stalin’s era. We survived even after the Nazis. We survived after all of them.” – Voskresensky told RFE/RL’s “Sever.Realii” portal.
If the law goes into effect, Voskresensky’s museum will be closed and packed away. According to him, the museum will most likely “emigrate” and live a “refugee” life in a more open country until it can return to Russia.
However, he says that LGBT themes will continue to be shown in St. Petersburg museums. For example, local activists created an online questionnaire dedicated to “queer art” in the State Hermitage Museum.
“Let them try to ban them all. They won’t be able to,” – says Voskresensky.