[Ji Shuangcheng, Tao Kuofang, Ge Wenbo, and Liu Yupeng, special correspondent of the Global Times abroad] The Conflict between Russia and Ukraine has set off a new wave of Western exclusion of Russia, which has also affected the cultural and artistic circles. In many countries around the world, many Russian cultural and artistic practitioners have had to face a series of "cultural barriers" that are being erected everywhere: Russian conductor Gergiev has been removed from the post of principal conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of the United Kingdom has deleted the performance of Tchaikovsky's overture, the Polish National Philharmonic Orchestra and theater do not play Shostakovich's music and do not perform Chekhov's plays, and the name of the soprano Neribeko has been erased from the posters of the Palazzo Scala in Milan... Who is the cultural boycott of Russia hurting? In the view of the Russian media, "this kind of behavior completely ends people's illusions of 'civilized Europe'", and some European and American media believe that "we are witnessing an unprecedented 'cultural collapse'".
This is a "cultural declaration of war"
"Europe declares war on Russian culture", the Russian website "Strategic Culture Foundation" recently said that the European Union signed a declaration of solidarity with Ukraine, saying that it will cut off the EU's relations with Russian cultural organizations. In France, the Cannes Film Festival announced that "official Russian delegations or people associated with the government of the country are not welcome", and the 26th Russian Theatre Festival in Marseille announced the cancellation of this cultural event this year. Other film festivals, including Glasgow in the United Kingdom and the Stockholm Film Festival in Sweden, have made similar decisions. In addition, the Fondation Center of Louis Vuitton in Paris is exhibiting the personal collection of 19th-century Russian Morozov, and more than 200 paintings including Gauguin, Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso and other modern painting milestones are insured for up to 2 billion euros, but will not continue to be insured starting in April. For transport safety reasons, the works will not be shipped back to Russia for the time being. In the Netherlands, Amsterdam has a branch of St. Petersburg's famous Hermitage Museum, which has never commented on Putin's political actions before. But the museum recently claimed that "war has destroyed everything, even 30 years of cooperation", and announced the closure of the recent russian avant-garde art exhibition.
Artists developing in the West, especially Russian artists, have been asked by public opinion to take a stand on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Russian Gergiev, recognized as one of the greatest conductors of our time, was fired as principal conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra for "refusing to express his position explicitly", and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra in the Netherlands removed him for similar reasons. Gergiev has been conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra since 1988, and the orchestra's "Gergiev Festival" in September has also been cancelled this year.
European and American media stressed in the report that "Gergiev has a close relationship with Putin." French Culture Minister Rosslina Bassello said in a recent interview with Agence France-Presse, "France has not boycotted Russian culture, and Russian musicians can certainly continue to play." But there is a very clear red line, and we do not want to see representatives of Russian institutions or artists explicitly support Putin. ”
Russian soprano Neribeko's partnership with the Metropolitan Opera in New York has also been dissolved, and she will star in Puccini's opera Turandot for the May season. She said she had made it clear that she was "anti-war" and that it was unreasonable to "cancel" just because she refused to "name Putin" and that "it is not right to force artists or any public figure to express political views in public and condemn their homeland."
This "cancellation" is not only reflected in the "de-Russification" of the Western music market and stage, but also the reverse "abandonment of the Russian market and audience" - Sony, Warner, Universal Pictures and other companies have announced the suspension of business in Russia, and Western music and art groups have also cancelled their performance plans in Russia. "The West has orchestrated a cultural boycott that has brought a widespread sense of isolation to Russian society," the Financial Times said, adding that the West was creating a "hybrid war" that would force Russia to change.
"The trend toward barbarism"
According to the Russian Satellite News Agency, culture has a special place on the European continent. In both world wars, works of art and cultural heritage were "victims". Now, culture is part of Russia's national soft power, and the West is imposing new sanctions on it. "Europe's resentment and hatred of Russian culture can be simply explained as: culture is Russia, and to destroy Russian culture and art is to deprive Russians of their roots."
In fact, art, especially music, was originally the closest and most closely related field between Russia and the West. During the Tsarist or Soviet period, Russian music, dance and other stage arts were regarded as an important part of Western stage art; during the Cold War, Western governments supported and encouraged Western musical institutions and Russian counterparts to cooperate on the grounds that "art has no borders", such as the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Bolshoi Theater, which was established and maintained during the Soviet period. Going back further, the idea of enhancing cultural and artistic exchanges with Europe originated with Peter the Great. In the 19th century, different languages and cultures have converged in the Hermitage, forming a unique scene of European cultural inclusion.
Today, not every European agrees to ban Russian culture, and many people in the industry express dissatisfaction with "forcing a stand.". The cancellation of a course on Dostoevsky's works at the University of Bicocca in Milan, Italy, made the course professor Nori feel "ridiculous" and that "it is a sin not only for russians who are alive, but also for those who are dead." Tommaso Montanari, vice-chancellor for foreigners at the University of Siena in Italy, believes that "the prohibition of contact with Russian scientists and the cultural sphere means forgetting the essence of the university." Some Italian politicians also opposed the banning of Dostoevsky. Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said, "At this time, we need to learn more about Russian culture. Recently, 200 Italian delegates, including journalists, writers, musicians, students and teachers, as well as members of cultural associations, called for no discrimination against Russian culture. German opera star Jonas Kaufmann, who also defended his Russian colleagues, said in an interview with Italy's Corriere della Zeitung, "There have been historical examples of joint concerts before reconciliation – building a bridge with art, and maybe that's what we can make as musicians." ”
On March 14, the French newspaper Le Figaro published a signed article by Zhang Zhang, a Chinese-Canadian violin artist who is principal of the Royal Opera Orchestra at the Palace of Versailles, France: "Talk less about Putin, talk more about Pushkin." The article slammed the Existence of "Double Standards" in the Western literary and art circles, and "the excessive banning of Russian culture will only create more divisions." The article resonated with many readers, "How sad it is that Europe has turned its back on centuries of values, history and culture in a short period of time" and "we must do everything in our power to reverse the trend of sliding into barbarism".
Zhang Zhang said in an interview with the Global Times reporter on the 17th that people with a little conscience are against this excessive blockade and oppression of Russian culture, but no one dares to stand up, they are afraid of personal attacks, "The French media are willing to publish my articles, but also hope to borrow a foreigner's mouth to cool down the current public opinion." I believe that the silent majority will not remain silent forever, and that humanity, reason and civilization will eventually return and shine again."
"Cancellation Culture" in Europe and the United States
The ban on the Russian cultural and artistic circles is also a certain embodiment of the prevalence of "abolition culture" in European and American societies in recent years. The so-called "cancellation of culture" is simply to consider someone's words and deeds to be "unacceptable", thereby depriving people of their support for themselves, their profession, and their popularity or fame. The idea originated in the field of art and spread throughout Western society.
In 1981, the concept of "cancellation" first appeared in the couples breakup song "Your Love Is Canceled" by black music composer Neil Rogers, and was used in the dialogue of the 1991 American film "City of All Evils". Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, European and American artists continued to use the phrase in videos of music and social media. The phrase has become more popular in recent years after Hollywood public figures such as Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey were "canceled" by sex scandals. Some British media even concluded that "every day a celebrity falls out of favor after being 'cancelled'". The following are European and American celebrities who have been "canceled" in the past two years:
Jimmy Carr, the British comedian who is one of the latest celebrities to be "canceled", sparked outrage over the topic of holocaust on a Netflix special that aired last Christmas.
J.K. Rowling, the famous British writer, has been one of the biggest celebrities to be "removed" over the past few years for her remarks that are considered "transphobia".
Chris North, the male star who starred in the role of "Mr. Big" in the well-known American drama "Sex and the City", was "canceled" by Hollywood after being accused of sexual assault by two women.
Johnny Depp, the famous actor who starred in "Pirates of the Caribbean", was boycotted by Hollywood for alleged domestic violence, alcoholism and drug abuse, and he was removed from the "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" series of movies, and Green Devo replaced him with a new star.
R. Kelly, the famous singer known for singing "I Believe I Can Fly," has been accused of sexual abuse for decades and is sentenced to prison last September for multiple crimes.
Alan DeGenereus, one of America's most prominent television presenters, was accused two years ago of creating a "toxic work culture, including dismissal of employees on sick and bereavement leave. As a result, she "collapsed", and even after she apologized, the 19-year-old "Allen Show" will still be suspended from the end of this year.
Far Out, a British media outlet, commented that artists should adhere to the same moral standards as others, and that public figures must be held accountable for their wrongdoings. On the other hand, the problem with blindly advocating "cancellation culture" is that the Internet is not always correct, and "cancellation culture" sometimes carries a "mob mentality". "It only takes a few hours for netizens to organize a massive campaign of condemnation and accusations, and no one pauses to consider the impact of their actions. It is hypocrisy to pretend that the artwork in question has suddenly lost all of its original cultural value or aesthetic significance just because the artist is a 'rotten person'. (Wang Huicong)
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