Kremlin ‘recommends’ that Russian regions and TV stations support ‘patriotic’ artists for New Year’s concerts

The Russian presidential administration has sent recommendations on conducting New Year’s events to regional authorities, cultural institutions, and state-owned companies, reports news agency RBC. A source close to one regional administration confirmed the details of the recommendations to the publication.

Russian authorities recommend that, in planning New Year’s concert programs, regions and TV stations should support artists with “patriotic orientations.” The list includes Eurovision 2015 runner-up Polina Gagarina; Russian-Georgian singer-songwriter Grigory Leps; singer and former Gorky Park band member Aleksandr Marshal; State Duma deputy and lead singer of band Lyube, Nikolay Rastorguyev; and popular singer Yaroslav Dronov (SHAMAN).

Authorities also invited networks and regional governments to support “new” performers — former pro-Kremlin war blogger and Mariupol native Akim Apachev; singers from the Russian-annexed DNR Natalia Kachura and Margarita Lisovina; rapper RICH; and the groups Django, Nashi, Zveroboy, and Poslezavtra.

The Kremlin’s recommendations also said that any restrictions on New Year’s tree celebrations for children are “highly undesirable,” and that it is better to show “restraint” in spending on festivities for adults. State-owned companies were invited to pass on “large-scale, expensive festivities and costly entertainment.”

The recommendations also include a suggestion that Russian cities should set up studios in their central squares, where residents can record New Year’s greetings for participants in the “special military operation.”

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In October, in the context of the war and the draft, several regional governments announced that they would not hold New Year’s celebrations, with the exception of childrens’ holidays. The Russian Defense Ministry said there was no need to cancel festivities, and an anonymous source in the Kremlin said the regions had made “premature and ill-conceived” decisions.

In July, St. Petersburg publication Fontanka released a list of Russian musicians allegedly deemed undesirable by authorities. It included well-known acts like Mashina Vremeni, Aquarium, Bi-2, Valery Meladze, Zemfira, Oxxxymiron, Monetochka, DDT, and Noize MC. The list totaled 30 groups.