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Not even for Dostoevsky. From the celebrations for the 200th anniversary of his birth last November, the acclaimed Russian writer has become the subject of a boycott since the government of Vladimir Putin clashed with Western powers, invaded Ukraine and started the conflict that reaches its 16th day.
In Italy, a course on the author of “Crime and Punishment” and a festival dedicated to his work were cancelled. Citizens even called for a statue of the artist in Florence to be torn down.
The very figure of Putin has been a target of rejection. From Paris to Gramado, wax statues of the president were removed from the exhibition.
The culture world has been punishing the Kremlin by banning Russian films from film festivals, stopping local recordings and canceling major international premieres in the country, such as the new version of “Batman”.
“But are the Russians our enemies? Or is the enemy Vladimir Putin and his gang, who hope to submit Ukraine to the Muscovite imperial paw?”, asked columnist João Pereira Coutinho on the 4th.
To read more: The hunt for Russian symbols and personalities was also criticized by columnists Álvaro Costa e Silva and Lygia Maria, who recall other cultural retaliations in history.
“Liberal democracies act from the same foundation they criticize. How to fight an authoritarian government based on censorship?”, writes the researcher.
In addition to the arts: The culture war triggered by the invasion of Ukraine is also economic.
Symbols of “Western imperialism”, large companies such as Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Starbucks and Nike announced the suspension of their activities in Russia.
Apple also stopped selling its products in the country, and Ford closed factories.
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