The rejection of Russian culture in the wake of the Ukraine invasion only plays into Putin’s hands, writes Liza Featherstone.
uri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut, was the first person to go to space. Since Gagarin has been dead for more than half a century, Vladimir Putin’s horrific invasion of Ukraine is not his fault. Nonetheless, he’s canceled because of it. Space Foundation, an American nonprofit, holds an annual fundraiser called “Yuri’s Night” in his honor. But this year, it was renamed, “A Celebration of Space,” a change that the organization explained was made “in light of recent world events.” The event, with Yuri erased, is scheduled for tonight.
Gagarin is not alone among Russians in being posthumously excised from global culture over the past six weeks. Orchestras at two Irish universities have dropped Russian composers from their lineups. Theaters in Switzerland and Poland have dropped operas by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (who was of Ukrainian descent) and Modest Mussorgky, respectively. The Cardiff Philharmonic had an all-Tchaikovsky concert scheduled for mid-March, and canceled it, saying it was “not appropriate at this time.” (The institution has defended itself by saying that the planned performance of the 1812 Overture features the sound of cannons and celebrates a nationalistic moment in Russian history.) One university in Italy canceled a course on Fyodor Dostoevsky “to avoid any controversy . . . especially during a time of strong tensions,” though the administration backtracked after widespread international backlash...Keep reading on Jacobin.
uri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut, was the first person to go to space. Since Gagarin has been dead for more than half a century, Vladimir Putin’s horrific invasion of Ukraine is not his fault. Nonetheless, he’s canceled because of it. Space Foundation, an American nonprofit, holds an annual fundraiser called “Yuri’s Night” in his honor. But this year, it was renamed, “A Celebration of Space,” a change that the organization explained was made “in light of recent world events.” The event, with Yuri erased, is scheduled for tonight.
Gagarin is not alone among Russians in being posthumously excised from global culture over the past six weeks. Orchestras at two Irish universities have dropped Russian composers from their lineups. Theaters in Switzerland and Poland have dropped operas by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (who was of Ukrainian descent) and Modest Mussorgky, respectively. The Cardiff Philharmonic had an all-Tchaikovsky concert scheduled for mid-March, and canceled it, saying it was “not appropriate at this time.” (The institution has defended itself by saying that the planned performance of the 1812 Overture features the sound of cannons and celebrates a nationalistic moment in Russian history.) One university in Italy canceled a course on Fyodor Dostoevsky “to avoid any controversy . . . especially during a time of strong tensions,” though the administration backtracked after widespread international backlash...Keep reading on Jacobin.