Ukraine to prohibit performances by pro-Russian artists
The Minister of Culture of Ukraine, Yevhen Nyshchuk, stated in an interview with Hromadske.tv that the Ministry intends to create an agency to prohibit performances by pro-Russian artists.
“There is an idea to create an agency that would implement concert, theatrical and tour activities. Its function would be to draw up laws that will make tours, arrivals and professional activities impossible for pro-Russian-oriented people,” Nyshchuk said.
At the same time, the Minister stated that he has nothing against drawing up black or white lists. “It is clear that the list should exist, and be very strict, but I wouldn’t arrange it by color. I would arrange it in sanctions,” Nishchuk stated, adding that thorough internal work should be carried out in order to develop the mechanism of prohibiting Russian content.
“The mechanism itself will be developed. I will meet with the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, all leaders and directors, TV and radio reporters and others, who play a part in implementing this,” Nyshchuk said. The Minister added that people who undermine the dignity of the Ukrainian State, distort Ukrainian history and our heroes don’t belong here.
Yevhen Nyshchuk also noted that he is in favor of the protection of information environment and filling it with national content.
“France, which fights against English dominance, does it and other countries do it,” the Minister of Culture noted. Earlier, the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, signed a law that prohibits broadcasting Russian movies in Ukraine. At the moment, 423 movies and series are prohibited in Ukraine.
Currently, the white and black lists of Russian cultural professionals, depending on their position towards Ukraine, are in force. World famous musicians such as Zemfira, Andrey Makarevich, Yuri Shevchuk and actors Liya Akhedzhakova, Oleg Basilashvili and Valentin Gaft were included on the white list. The black list includes 83 people.
Kiev also included people who pose a threat to national security. Among those are: Oleg Gazmanov, Joseph Kobzon, Sergey Bezrukov, Mikhail Boyarsky, Nikolay Rastorguyev, Ivan Okhlobystin, Mikhail Porechenkov, Grigory Leps, Vladimir Bortko, Pavel Lungin, Alexander Rosenbaum, Vasily Lanovoy, Dmitry Kharatyan, Oleg Tabakov, and Natalya Varley.
Emir Kusturica’s concert “Love will save the world” was cancelled in Kiev in 2015 because of his pro-Russian position. Earlier, Kusturica stated that Russia has to support the Russian population in Ukraine. He compared the current situation in Ukraine to Yugoslavia of 1990. The reasons for the cancellation of the concert weren’t mentioned in the official report on the website of Kiev Sports Palace.