Russia mulls promoting patriotic artists

In Russia, plans for a so-called patriotic media holding to support "politically-correct artists" are making headway.

The state-run Kremlin Media plans to buy MUZ-TV, one of Russia's oldest music stations, and incorporate it into the new holding, says Russia's Vedomosti daily, quoting sources in the music industry.

Last October, Russian music producer and businessman Vladimir Kiselyov and Olga Plaksina, director of the privately-owned Russian Media Group (RMG), suggested the idea to President Vladimir Putin. In a letter they wrote that in the light of "unforseeable foreign policies" and the influence of foreign artists on the Russian public, it is important to promote "local artists."

State intervention

Plans for a "patriotic media holding" are reminiscent of the Soviet Union, which strictly controlled the country's entire cultural life. It's obvious that in today's Russia, the state has already begun to interfere in cultural matters.

Over the past years, several managers in the culture sector were replaced by managers close to the regime. The director of the Novosibirsk Opera House was dismissed after a controversial production of the Wagner opera Tannhäuser. Russian Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky is busy pleading patriotism and promoting "patriotic culture." The trend is noticeable on TV, too: many movies about WWII consistently convey a positive image of Russia.

Open letter to Putin

Increasingly, the freedom of opinion and the press are being curtailed. A majority of media firms is now owned by the state and controlled by the Kremlin. Many people engaged in the cultural sector expressed concern when reports surfaced late last month that RMG could be sold to state-run concert promoter Goskontsert. RMG includes various radio stations like Russian Radio, Hit FM and the music channel Ru.TV. They could feasibly all become part of the "patriotic media holding."

In an open letter to President Putin, artists and producers, among them popular Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko, urged stopping the sale of RMG. RMG Director Plaksina told DW that negotiations were still proceeding.

Just a smoke screen

TV and music producer Iosif Prigoschin, also a signatory to the open letter, is convinced the creation of a "patriotic media holding" is by no means a political maneuver by the Kremlin, but a business ambition by Kiselyov. "Using patriotism as a smoke screen, Kiselyov wants to push his own business interests," Prigoschin told DW. The producer doubts the Kremlin is involved. "We artists were told that it's not a political decision," the producer said.

Prigoschin suspects that Kiselyov plans to demand fees from the artists if they want their music aired on the radio in the future. That, the producer fears, would undermine competitiveness in the Russian music industry.

Close to the Kremlin

Russian music critic Artur Gasparyan also sees the "patriotic media holding" as nothing but a subterfuge for business interests. "In Russia, patriotism is currently the keyword for everything," Gasparyan said.

Kiselyov, he said, is simply taking advantage of the moment. Patriotism, he added, plays a large role in Russia society today, and many Russians are patriotic in particular when it comes to the military and memories of WWII.

Like Prigoschin, Gasparyan dismisses the notion that the Kremlin might have political intentions where plans for a "patriotic media holding" are concerned.

By appealing to the Russian people's patriotism, however, the planned media holding appears to be moving along the same political trail that Culture Minister Medinsky has embarked on with his "patriotic" cultural policies.

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