Almost Naked party

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The Almost Naked party was a party with dress code "almost naked" held by Russian blogger and TV presenter Nastya Ivleeva in Moscow on 20–22 December 2023, attended by many Russian celebrities. The event led to a scandal as it was criticized by pro-regime propagandists as being inappropriate while Russian soldiers are dying in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War and allegedly promoting LGBTQ+ values. Many attendees publicly apologised. Some faced legal action.

The condemnation of the event was supported by Vladimir Putin. It was notable as those who attended were mostly supportive of the Putin regime and had previously avoided criticism.[citation needed]

Event[edit]

Mutabor art center and nightclub

The event was a Christmas dress-up ball held at Moscow's Mutabor [ru] nightclub[1] on 20–22 December 2023.[2] The first night, 20 December, was exclusive for celebrities and invitation only, with tickets costing US$11,000,[3] while the second night (21 December) was open to the general public for 2,500 rubles (about US$28).[4] Partying continued into 22 December.

Vacío [ru] wore just training shoes plus a single sock on his penis.[5][6] Ivleeva spoke of wearing 23 million roubles (about US$257,600) worth of diamonds and emeralds in her outfit.[7]

Attendees[edit]

Attendees included many celebrities who have stayed in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine and are broadly seen as being supportive of the Putin regime.[citation needed] They included:

Condemnation of the event[edit]

Footage of the event spread on social media and led to criticisms from pro-war commentators (including Vladimir Solovyov, a television propagandist[1]), state officials, politicians and the Russian Orthodox Church.[8] Vladimir Putin was reported to have been unhappy about the event,[8] to have demanded punishments[7] and to have approved of the condemnations made.[12][7] The issue became a public scandal[13] and dominated news reporting in Russia for several days.[8]

Critics said the event was insulting to Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine and that the event promoted LGBTQ+ values, illegal under Russian law. Soldiers in Ukraine were reported to have complained about the event.[8]

Two days after the party, Vacio was sentenced to 15 days imprisonment for "disorderly conduct"[14][15] and fined 200,000 roubles for "promoting non-traditional sexual relations".[7][5][1][16] Vacio then received a military summons from the Russian authorities.[11]

Ivleeva was fined 100,000 roubles.[17] The Federal Taxation Service opened an investigation into Ivleeva.[18] She is also facing a lawsuit from a group of individuals demanding she pay 1 billion roubles for "moral suffering" (with the money to go to Ukraine war veterans).[8]

Concerts and advertising contracts of many attendees were cancelled.[1] Ivleeva lost her contract with mobile phone operator MTS.[8] She donated proceeds from the party to charity.[2]

Philipp Kirkorov’s image was removed from the poster of the New Year's comedy “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Everything!”. The singer has also been boycotted on television. New Year's programs with his participation are newly edited, without footage of Kirkorov and his solo numbers.[19][20]

BBC News suggested that the criticism reflected a need for the Russian ruling class to generate scapegoats in the face of poor progress towards Russia's war aims in Ukraine. Opposition activist Maxim Katz was quoted: "For the first time in a long time, the system has pushed back against those who supported all its rules, as long as they weren't applied to them."[5] Pjotr Sauer writing in The Guardian described it as "one of the starkest examples to date of how Vladimir Putin is moving the country in a conservative and anti-liberal direction."[1]

Response to criticism[edit]

Ivleeva, Kirkorov, Milyavskaya,[9] Sobchak, and others apologised on social media.[5][7]

Ivleeva had initially responded to the criticism with mockery, but later released a two-part apology video.[6][8][9]

Kirkorov said he was only briefly in attendance.[6] Bilan stressed that he was conservatively dressed and not responsible for how others dressed.[5] Milyavskaya described the event as an "art project".[21]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Sauer, Pjotr. "Russian rapper jailed amid backlash over 'almost naked' party at Moscow nightclub". The Guardian.
  2. ^ a b "The apologists. Russian stars who attended the 'Almost Naked' party in Moscow last week are now attempting to outdo each other in asking the public for forgiveness".
  3. ^ "Russian party filled with semi-naked celebrities in eye of anti-LGBTQ storm". 23 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Russian pop stars threw themselves an exclusive party with an 'almost naked' dress code. Here's what happened next".
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "Russian celebs at 'almost naked' party stung by backlash". BBC News. 27 December 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d "A fine and fury after Russian stars attend semi-naked party".
  7. ^ a b c d e "Rapper jailed for wearing just a sock at 'almost naked' Club Mutabor party". 28 December 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-stars-semi-naked-party-sparks-wartime-backlash-2023-12-28/
  9. ^ a b c d Time, Current. "Organizer, Celebrities Who Attended 'Almost Naked' Party in Moscow Rush to Apologize Amid Backlash". Radiofreeeurope/Radioliberty.
  10. ^ "'Almost Naked' party of Moscow elites sparks outrage in increasingly conservative Russia".
  11. ^ a b "Jailed Russian Rapper Summoned To Recruitment Center". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 8 January 2024.
  12. ^ ‘Almost Naked’ Party in Moscow Angers Russian Conservatives. Outrage over scantily clad socialites highlights the growing contradictions of a society reshaped by the war in Ukraine. By Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, Dec. 28, 2023
  13. ^ "An 'almost naked' party of Russian elites brings on jail time, a lawsuit and apologies". ABC News.
  14. ^ "Russian rapper at 'almost naked party' jailed as part of Putin anti-gay crackdown". Independent.co.uk. 28 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Russia's 'almost naked' party: Rapper jailed for 15 days over risqué costume".
  16. ^ Hartog, Eva (January 8, 2023). "Putin's attack dogs target 'almost naked' pop stars in Russia's new culture war". Politico.
  17. ^ "Суд оштрафовал Ивлееву на 100 тыс. рублей за организацию "голой вечеринки"". TACC. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  18. ^ "Мизулина заявила, что Настю Ивлееву начала проверять налоговая служба". Meduza. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  19. ^ "Не простили: Киркорову объявили полный бойкот на ТВ". Московский комсомолец. 2023-12-26. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  20. ^ "Стали известны подробности полного бойкота Киркорова на ТВ: "Сцены будут переснимать"". Московский комсомолец. 2023-12-27. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  21. ^ "'Almost Naked' Party Causes Uproar in Russia - Insider News". YouTube.
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