DW/ Edited by Maria Rigoutsou

It all started with a party.

“Almost Naked” the guests had to show up at the end of December at the famous Moscow club Mutabor.

The invitation was sent by influencer and party organizer Anastasia Ivlegieva. And whatever he told them, the guests did.

The men came naked from the waist up and the women in transparent, thin netted dresses.

Rapper Vacio he settled for a sock at the point in question.

She’s not an influencer also very modest in her appearance, with a single black bra and a see-through T-shirt. But when the photos were published, the laughter stopped. A lot of people seemed bothered.

The story could have ended there and what happened could be considered the exaggerations of some Russian eccentrics who like to attract attention. Nevertheless the story was just beginning and showed another side: the operation of a state apparatus that wants to control everythingis punitive and humiliating.

They told those who went to the party that it was a shame to dance naked while Russian soldiers were fighting on the front against Ukraine.

Lawsuits, fines and apologies

Lawsuits followed and the competent authorities dealing with the media they came to the conclusion that this is propaganda of the LGBTI community. Two days later the rapper with the sock in question was arrested and detained for 15 days. He apologized publicly but even that wasn’t enough. He received a paper from the army to examine his mental and physical health and at worst he is threatened with being sent to the front.

The organizer of the party humbly apologized with tears in her eyeson which it was imposed a fine of 1,000 euros.

Some of the participants lost contracts, others canceled their performances. Popular singer Philip Kirkorov donated some money to the war-torn Russian region of Belgorot. The owner of the Mutabor club is said to have donated relics of Saint Nicholas to the Russian Church.

Political disorientation?

Independent journalists covering the issue are not impressed by all this. According to investigations by the Moscow Times newspaper, the attack on the excesses of surnames was organized from very high up and aimed at disorienting public opinion.

The aim was to divert attention away from the March 17 presidential election where Vladimir Putin is seeking a fifth term in office.

According to political scientist Abbas Galyamov, the kremlin wanted to use all this noise to hide the fact that the critical politician Ekaterina Dutsova, before even officially running for office, was excluded.

As for the club Mutabor it was temporarily closed for 90 days and in accordance with the official justification for health reasons.