Artists say Putin's push for patriotism is killing Russian culture

MOSCOW — Not even the famed Bolshoi Theater has been spared President Vladimir Putin’s wartime push for Russian culture to prioritize patriotism over artistic freedom.

Several Bolshoi stars have fled the country. The theater no long tours in Europe and America. And its longtime director resigned last year and was replaced with a staunch Putin loyalist, after publicly admitting that its repertoire was censored to remove works by directors or choreographers who criticized the Ukraine invasion.

The Bolshoi is hardly the only iconic Russian institution under pressure. The longtime directors of Moscow’s Tretyakov and Pushkin fine art museums were also replaced.

Musicians, actors and writers who oppose the war are being hounded into exile or driven underground — while artists remaining in Russia are compelled by the government to echo a new nationalist zeal in their work. Those who actively voice support for the war are rewarded with fame and fortune. Movies or music glorifying the army or upholding patriotic values receive hefty government subsidies.

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