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“Creative unions are back where they were under Soviet power — so-called 'creatives' feeding at the state trough and afraid of their own shadows.”  That is how Nina Agisheva-Nikolaevich, a well-known Russian theater critic, commented on Facebook about one of the most significant recent cases in the Russian theater world.  She was referring to Vladimir Mashkov's nomination as President of the Union of Russian Theater Workers.

In its drive to eliminate all dissent over its war against Ukraine, Moscow has stepped up pressure on artists across Russia, pushing them to speak out in favor of the invasion or face dismissal or worse. Some artists say the war could spell the end of post-Soviet Russian culture.

Though Russian born, Alexei Ratmansky grew up in Kyiv, where his family is still based today. Now living in the U.S. he was preparing a new ballet at the Bolshoi in Moscow. As soon as the news of the invasion spread, he chose to flee the city along with his wife and international crew. “I doubt I wo...

The violence has prompted protests, cultural boycotts and more

Thousands of citizens of Russia have been arrested for taking to the streets to protest their country’s invasion of Ukraine, as even anti-invasion celebrities have spoken out – and suffered professional consequences for doing so.