Published
Fri, Jun 24, 2022, 17:50
- The decision will apply to media created or performed by Russian citizens after 1991.
Ukraine's parliament voted this week to ban some music by Russian artists in order to restrict Russia's cultural influence.
According to the bill, approved by 303 of 450 members of parliament, the ban will "minimize the risks of possible hostile propaganda through music in Ukraine and increase the volume of national music products in the cultural space," various media outlets have reported. The rule specifically applies to artists who held Russian citizenship after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Artists who have condemned Russia's war in Ukraine can apply for an exemption from the ban.
The legislation also raises the quota for Ukrainian music in media spaces from 35 to 40 percent.
Andrii Yankovskyi, who runs Kyiv venue HVLV, told Resident Advisor that he agrees with the ban. "I understand that these measures may look quite extreme from the outside, yet it’s important to understand the context," he said over email.
"Ukrainian info space has been dominated by Russian music, films and TV shows for the whole independent period [...] Ukrainian music had no room or strong audience in its own country," he continued. "Art (and especially music) is an important medium that can be used both for speeding something good, or supporting something evil. And the Russian media machine is using every informational front to spread this evil as far as possible."
The bill will be accompanied by a seperate document that bans the import of Russian-language books. Printing and distribution of Russian-language books within Ukraine will also come to a halt.