In recent weeks, numerous videos have surfaced in which well-known Russians apologize for their presence at a much-discussed nude party in Moscow. It is no coincidence that they do this, say experts at BBC: those videos are well-considered and have a clear purpose.
Since the much-discussed ‘Almost Naked’ party on December 20 in a nightclub in Moscow, where many famous Russians attended and wore barely any clothing as requested, conservative Russia has opened the attack on those present. One of them, rapper Vacio, has already been sentenced to 15 days in prison and a 2,000 euro fine. On Saturday it emerged that TV presenter Nastya Ivleev, who organized the party, is also being sued for the equivalent of 10.4 million euros.
It is remarkable that since the party, many well-known Russians have apologized for their presence. It is no coincidence that they all do this in videos that are distributed on social media and through state media. According to experts, they are being pressured and coerced, as has become a tradition in Russia since 2015. At that time, fierce criticism was expressed in Chechnya against leader Ramzan Kadirov, after which those critics were subtly made clear that they had to apologize publicly . The trend has spread to Russia, and has become increasingly fierce since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
There is a clear purpose behind the videos: to humiliate and intimidate critics. But it also discourages like-minded people from taking actions of resistance themselves. This is what human rights activist Dmitri Zakhvatov told the news site Kavkaz Realii. “Those who do not support the war in Ukraine but have not yet had the courage to say so publicly are so intimidated,” he said there.
Social anthropologist Aleksandra Arkhipova calls the videos at BBC “rituals of guilt and shame”, which are actually a punishment in themselves without the intervention of a court. “This goes against the freedoms that every person has. This has become the norm, and that’s really bad. If someone does something wrong, they are immediately expected to make such a video.” She sees the apology videos as a product of a president who rules Russia like an “overprotective father.” “The father is always right and the children themselves have no right to think or do what they want.”