Older Russians View Crackdown on Artists as Justified; Younger Ones See It as Censorship

 Paul Goble

            Staunton, Dec. 27 – Approximately half of all Russians say they are aware of the actions of law enforcement against artists and musicians; and about half are convinced that these actions are justified, with more among older age groups feeling that way and far fewer among younger cohorts, a Levada Center survey finds.

            Intriguingly, the sociologists report, the best informed on this point are Russians who make use of telegram channels rather than the regular media or other parts of the Internet, an indication of the growing role of these channels in exposing government overreach  (levada.ru/2021/12/28/pretenzii-pravoohranitelnyh-organov-k-artistam/).

            Among Russians over 40, 53 percent believe that what the authorities are doing is completely justified; but among the 18 to 24 age group, 59 percent say that government actions in this regard are a form of censorship and a violation of the right to freedom of creativity. Overall, however, the share opposing such actions has fallen six percent since December 2018.