Crimea’s Russian-installed authorities seek to ban street musicians from playing songs by ‘foreign agents’
The State Council of Crimea, the Russian-installed parliament in the occupied region, has recommended that municipalities ban performances of songs by “foreign agents” in open public spaces, according to its head, Vladimir Konstantinov.
He added that the ban should also extend to citizens of countries that take “unfriendly actions” against Russia. Street musicians, Konstantinov said, should be denied permits if they plan to perform works by “foreign agents” or by “unfriendly” foreigners.
“I am convinced that we need to cleanse our cultural space of all kinds of traitors and clear it for those talents who, in a difficult moment, remained with their country and its people,” Konstantinov wrote.
The “foreign agents” registry maintained by Russia’s Justice Ministry now includes more than a thousand entries. Among them are many musicians, actors, writers, and other cultural figures who have left the country.
