'In Ukraine - officially, in Belarus - in a dirty and ugly way': Practice of cultural, political bans

Musician Lyavon Volski and political scientist Alyaksandr Fyaduta have commented on the practice of “cultural” and “political” bans in Belarus and Ukraine.

The current Kyiv authorities are not entirely satisfied with what President Yanukovych and his entourage were tolerant to. The new Ukrainian government is using prohibitions to protect their position and changes after Euromaidan. The “old” Belarusian authorities are protecting “stability” using the same tools.

Ban I: singers, actors, directors

In late August, Ukraine’s Security Service made public a list containing 16 names of artists who were banned from entering Ukraine. Among them were Bezrukov, Boyarsky, Leps, Kobzon, Mikhalkov, Valeria, Gazmanov, as well as several other similarly occupied persons.

“There is a war in Ukraine, said musician Lyavon Volski – so the situation in this country is that of emergency which entails appropriate measures. If these people did not express various support to the separatists and did not curse the actions of the Ukrainian state, no one would ban them. Imagine there is a war, and here Kobzon comes to Kyiv and begins urging people to volunteer in the army of PRD and PRL.

In Belarus, there is also a war, but on the ideological front. Lyavon Volski, like many other rock musicians has repeatedly hit the “black list”:

– Ukraine has a formalized a list of undesirable artists. As I understand it, hif you want, you can find out the names and the reasons for the ban. If it was so official in Belarus – I would have had nothing against it… But in Belarus it is done through secret phone calls and other underhanded methods – in a dirty and disgusting way.

Ban II: Feature Films and books

In early summer it was announced that 162 Russian movies and TV series were banned in Ukraine. The first ones to get in the “black list” were movies about the police, military and other security forces. Banned was also comic film “Mums”, a film about the great fighter Poddubny and the epic movie “Brother 2” (according to some experts, it was done for the words of the “bald brother” about Ukrainians).

In late August, there was information about the prohibition of 38 books published in Russia. Books by Dorenko, Korovin, Glazyev, Limonov, as well as some other authors, writing about various Ukrainian events, including what has happened since the Euromaidan 2013.

“I do not think this is right, says political scientist Alyaksandr Fyaduta commenting on the ban. It is the consumer who should assess the products, buying or not buying books, tickets, CDs. I believe the policy of Ukraine’s Culture Ministry on this issue is logical, but meaningless. However, I must note that if an individual wants to see the movie “Brother 2″ at home, they will find an opportunity to do it and nobody will persecute them.”

Belarus has banned the feature (not necessarily political) films such as “Antichrist” by Lars von Trier, cult horror movies “Saw,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Evil Dead”.

There is a “black list” of Belarusian Ministry of Culture, of course, which has movies relevant to Belarus – for example, a film based on the play by Yanka Kupala “Locals”, made by our channel in 2007.

In addition, the Belarusian authorities have banned for some reason the comedy “Dictator”, directed by Larry Charles, which was released in 2013. It is a “heroic story of a North African dictator who risks his life to prevent the democracy from coming into the country he so lovingly oppresses.” The film is dedicated to “the blessed memory of Kim Jong-il” says the description of the movie in Wikipedia. A total of 110 films are banned in Belarus.

Ban III: symbols and parties

In early April, the Verkhovna Rada passed a bill banning the promotion and use of symbols of the Communist and National Socialist (Nazi) regime. Public denial of their crimes was also banned.

After this, the Ministry of Justice prohibited the three communist parties in Ukraine to participate in the electoral process.

“All ideologies are equal, said Alyaksandr Fyaduta – and from this point of view, Nazism, Communism, liberalism or social democracy cannot be destroyed, it is impossible to forbid people to think this or that way. If we consider the systems of management and control over people, there is no doubt, that in the twentieth century, there were no systems as monstrous as those that justified its enforcement by the ideology of communism and national socialism. And they prohibited not symbols of the ideas but symbols of the parties and systems that used these ideas.”

 

While Ukraine prohibits party symbols and regimes, which have claimed tens of millions of people, the Belarusian security forces and senior officials, in fact, banned symbols of the historical heritage. For example, the white-red-white flag and the “Pursuit” coat of arms.

Ban IV: ten French deputies.

In mid-July it became known that the ten members of the French Parliament,who illegally visited the annexed Crimea were banned from entering Ukraine.

“This is a sovereign matter of Ukraine. The European Union also has practice of restrictions on the entry of undesirable persons. The list of those against whom such sanctions are applied may even have heads of state – for example, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, said Alyaksandr Fyaduta. Therefore, the invention of the Ukraine’s lawmakers should not be considered as something unprecedented. It was niether the first bike in the world, nor was it the last one.”

 

Belarus prohibits the entry into its territory of a number of Western politicians and Russian human rights activists. At the same time, a Belarusian human rights activist, although with a Russian passport, was removed from the country.

Ban V – ban on some Russian airlines flying to Ukraine

On October 25, Ukraine closed its airspace for several Russian airlines, including for Aeroflot and Transaero.

“Planes with the tricolor should not be seen in Ukrainian airport,” commented on the situation Ukrainian prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

“We have introduced restrictions on flights of aircraft companies which included the Crimean airport in the Russian national airline network. Those that do not fly to Crimea can safely take their place in Borispol and Zhulyany – despite the Russian tricolor, said political analyst Fyaduta. The logic of the decisions is clear and transparent. Russian airlines are faced with a choice: Crimea, or the rest of Ukraine. The Ukrainian market of aircraft services is so attractive that, according to the Ukrainian government, the economic calculation should outweigh the political one.”

Yauhen Balinski, belsat.eu