Sanctions, Boycotts, and Bans
The International Cultural Response to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Because the situation in Ukraine is changing so quickly and the international response is developing by the hour, rather than doing a deep dive into any one of these events, following is a roundup of stories about cultural diplomatic responses to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian cultural organizations themselves have called for international governments and cultural organizations to use boycotts as a tool to increase diplomatic pressure on Russia.
There are a number of cases of states themselves or state-affiliated bodies using culture, cultural institutions, and events as a diplomatic tool to exert pressure on Russia in response to to the invasion of Ukraine:
- The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the popular Eurovision Song Contest, has barred Russia from participating in the 2022 competition after initially saying that both Ukraine and Russia would be welcome to compete. The EBU, while not a governmental organization, includes among its members the official state media of several countries, including the BBC, Deutsche Welle, and France Médias Monde.
- The European Union cut off the broadcast of Russian state-backed broadcasters Russia Today and Sputnik within the EU, blunting the Kremlin’s ability to spread influence outside its borders.
- The European Film Academy issued a boycott of all Russian films. While the Academy is not an official government body, it receives the majority of its funding from the German National Lottery. The move was taken following an open letter from Ukrainian film director Sergei Loznitsa calling out the organization for not taking more serious action earlier and his resignation from the Academy.
More numerous are the cultural institutions cutting ties with Russian government-affiliated organizations or individuals. Some events, such as the Cannes Film Festival, appear to be looking at carve-outs for individual artists whose work deals with anti-Kremlin topics or who are not closely tied to the Russian government.
- World soccer’s governing body FIFA and UEFA, the European governing body, have suspended Russia’s national team from competition.
- The official Russian delegation has been banned from the Cannes Film Festival, along with any individuals with ties to the Russian government. Individual filmmakers may still be allowed to participate, on a case-by-case basis.
- The Metropolitan Opera in New York cut ties with artists who have close ties with Putin, including soprano Anna Netrebko, widely considered the world’s best soprano.
- Boycotts have also targeted Russian individuals with close ties to Putin, many of whom are major figures in the world of art collection and curation, and who have used the purchase of art as a way to protect funds that might otherwise be the target of sanction and seizure.
