The Ukrainian parliament has passed two new laws restricting the spread of Russian literature and music in Ukraine; Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Kyiv has been working to sever existing cultural ties between the two countries.
The ban does not apply to, for example, 19th-century Russian classicsOne of the new laws prohibits the printing of books written by Russian citizens – unless they are willing to renounce Russian citizenship and accept Ukrainian. The ban applies only to Russian citizenship after 1991 or. the fall of the Soviet Union.
From now on, it will no longer be possible to import books printed in Russia, Belarus and the occupied Ukrainian territories for commercial purposes. The import of Russian books from any other country will require a special permit.
The second law tells the broadcast of Russian music from the time after 1991 in the media and on public transport. At the same time, mandatory quotas for music and other content in Ukrainian in radio and television programs are increasing: from 35 to 40 percent. The law will ban music tours by Russian artists (with the exception of those who have publicly spoken out against the invasion).
If the laws are to come into force, they have yet to be signed by President Zelenski, but unofficially there are no reports to oppose them. On Sunday, the proposal received strong support in the Ukrainian parliament, including from lawmakers traditionally considered more pro-Kremlin.
Minister of Culture Alexander Tkachenko he has already commented that he will be “happy to welcome” the new restrictions. “The law is designed to help Ukrainian authors share quality content with the widest possible audience, which has not accepted Russian creative content in any form since the beginning of the Russian invasion,” it is quoted by the website of the Ukrainian parliament.
Russia draws attention to minority rightsThe new legislation will thus be the next step on Ukraine’s path of rejection of centuries-old Moscow power and influence. The process, formerly often referred to as “decommunization”, is now almost without exception known as “derusification”, seeking to counterbalance centuries of practices and policies aimed at destroying Ukrainian identity.
Moscow’s position is different: they point out that the new Ukrainian policy suppresses a huge number of Russian-speaking people living in Ukraine – and whose rights they are defending with the so-called “special military operation”.
In fact, the process began in 2014, after the Russian occupation of Crimea and support for separatists in the Donbas region, and since the beginning of the invasion on February 24, of course, it has gained additional momentum.
In Kiev, they plan to rename hundreds of streets and other locations that are somehow connected with Russian culture, reports Reuters. Already in April, they removed a monument from Soviet times celebrating the friendship of the Ukrainian and Russian people.
Source: Rtvslo
