麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Putin says Russian culture being 'cancelled' like J.K. Rowling

Share
DUBLIN -

President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused the West of trying to cancel Russia's rich musical and literary culture, including composers Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rachmaninov, in the same way he said it had cancelled "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling.

Speaking in a meeting with leading cultural figures broadcast on national television, Putin complained of the cancellation of a number of Russian cultural events in recent weeks and compared it to actions taken by Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

"Not so long ago, the children's writer J.K. Rowling was also cancelled because she ... did not please the fans of so-called gender freedoms," Putin told the meeting, referring to controversy sparked by the "Harry Potter" author's opinions on transgender issues.

"Today they are trying to cancel a whole thousand-year culture, our people," he said. "I am talking about the gradual discrimination against everything linked to Russia."

"The last time such a mass campaign to destroy objectionable literature was carried out, it was by the Nazis in Germany almost 90 years ago," Putin said.

Several events involving Russian cultural figures who have voiced support for the war have been cancelled, including some involving Valery Gergiev, general director of the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre, who spoke to Putin during Friday's meeting.

Gergiev has been dismissed as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic and lost the chance to conduct at Milan's La Scala after he failed to condemn Russia's invasion.

Spain鈥檚 Teatro Real, one of Europe鈥檚 major opera houses, has cancelled performances later this year by Russia鈥檚 Bolshoi Ballet. The auction houses Christie's, Sotheby's and Bonhams have cancelled sales of Russian art in London.

EVENTS CANCELLED

A much smaller number of events have been cancelled due to their association with dead Russian cultural figures.

The Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra dropped a concert of Tchaikovsky's music from its program, and media reports have said orchestras in Japan and Croatia took similar decisions.

Rowling quickly distanced herself from Putin, critical of the Kremlin and its treatment of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

"Critiques of Western cancel culture are possibly not best made by those currently slaughtering civilians for the crime of resistance, or who jail and poison their critics," she wrote.

Russia has denied attacking civilians in what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine, but Western powers say it has repeatedly hit civilian targets in what they call an unprovoked and unjustified invasion.

The Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra said it had been subjected to "hate speech and vicious comments" after cancelling the Tchaikovsky concert.

"Basic humanity takes precedence over art and history," it said in a Facebook post. "When the humanitarian crisis is over the discussion about 'woke' and 'cancel culture' can have its place."

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Conor Humphries and Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Raissa Kasolowsky and Hugh Lawson)

Get in touch

Do you have both Ukrainian and Russian family members? How are you handling the crisis? Email dotcom@bellmedia.ca.

  • Please include your name, location, and contact information if you are willing to speak to a journalist with 麻豆影视.
  • Your comments may be used in a CTVNews.ca story.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.