Russia launches crackdown against its pop stars wearing revealing or sexual attires

Russian politicians defending “traditional” values are now targeting the country’s vibrant music scene, criticizing pop stars for performances and outfits deemed too revealing or sexual.

Pop singer Natalya Chistyakova-Ionova, known by her stage name Glukoza, faced scandal after pro-Kremlin censorship activist Yekaterina Mizulina highlighted her performance in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, last week.

“Glukoza came on stage in an indecent state and was touching her intimate parts during the performance…in front of thousands of children,” Mizulina wrote on Telegram. “Residents of Krasnoyarsk are outraged…they are asking to hold the singer accountable. I advise authorities in all other cities where she performs to first test the singer for drugs.”

Glukoza issued a public apology, attributing her behavior to a mix of “sleeping pills and antidepressants” recently prescribed to her. However, state-run media announced Thursday that her accounts across several Russian banks were blocked due to alleged tax debt, a move observers linked to her recent controversy with authorities. Journalists also noticed Glukoza’s name had vanished from a promotional poster for a large festival in Moscow, her only scheduled concert in the coming months.

“This story would seem quite familiar to those who lived in the Soviet era,” Russian journalist and music critic Artemy Troitsky told The Moscow Times. “Censorship in Putin’s Russia is, in some respects, much harsher than it was during the latter years of the Soviet Union,” added Troitsky, who is based in Estonia.

In line with Soviet censorship traditions, the Culture Ministry announced support for introducing a dress code for Russian performers, a proposal first suggested by conservative State Duma deputy Irina Filatova after a scandal involving pop star Olga Buzova. Last month, Russian law enforcement opened a probe into Buzova’s Children’s Day performance, where her “revealing” outfit sparked outrage among conservatives.

A regional lawmaker from Bashkortostan, a majority Muslim republic where Buzova’s performance took place, reported receiving numerous complaints about her leather leotard. Mizulina echoed the outrage, saying, “Why provoke people like this? Especially in a region where there are many believers? I don’t understand this.”

Buzova and her team later apologized for the “offensive” outfit. “I always bring love and kindness. I live and work for the good of the Motherland…Everyone knows this,” she wrote on social media. “Do not look for evil where it does not exist.”

Many Russian pop stars voiced their support for Buzova and opposed the potential dress code. Pop singer Lusia Chebotina stated she would stop performing if such a dress code were implemented, arguing that more conservative costumes would hinder her ability to sing and dance on stage.