Deputies are developing financial measures to influence the departed artists who criticize Russia

Measures against artists who left the Russian Federation and criticize the country will only apply to those who actively act against the country, and not just express their opinion, said Alexander Sholokhov, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Culture. The measures themselves, which are being developed by a special working group, will be primarily financial.

“Now it is more necessary – and the members of the working group are clearly aware of this – to deal not with witch hunts, not with calls for punishment of anyone and actions in this direction, but with an understanding of how to treat those people who do not just express their position, but are actively acting against their own country,” said Mr. Sholokhov “RIA News”.

The parliamentarian added that among the artists who left, there is a separate group of people who openly finance the Ukrainian side. It is in relation to them, according to the deputy, that it is worth “thoroughly sorting it out”. At the same time, the measures taken will concern “primarily the financial side”, since most of the artists who left continue to receive money from Russia.

“It is absolutely nonsense to pay money to a person who sends the same money against the country. This is what needs to be adjusted. We have a rule of law state, and therefore we must organize our legislation in such a way that such things are impossible from the point of view of the law and the procedure is clearly spelled out,” the deputy summed up.

The State Duma working group on cultural figures who left the Russian Federation and take an anti-Russian position is assembled from deputies of all factions (primarily members of the committee on culture), representatives of supervisory departments.

On the creation of a working group in February 2023 announced Head of the Committee on Culture Elena Yampolskaya. Before that, about sanctions against the Russians who left argued Senator Andrei Klishas and Deputy Oleg Morozov.

Read more about how they wanted to hit the critics of the Russian Federation who went abroad with the ruble – in the material “Kommersant” “Relocation with confiscation”.

Grigory Leiba