Following tightened "propaganda" laws, any expression of non-heteronormative relationships is prohibited.
Russia has armed itself with an extensive legal framework designed to police artistic expression, turning what was once mundane cultural consumption into a potential criminal act. banned uncensored uncut music videos russia
Banned for "LGBT propaganda" and "psychological harm to minors." The Video: This duo specializes in witch-house aesthetics. In the uncensored uncut version of this video, Nastya Kreslova kisses a female ballerina while bleeding from the mouth, interspersed with clips of police brutality and children wearing gas masks. Why it’s banned: The explicit lesbian kiss violates the 2022 expansion of the propaganda law. Furthermore, the uncut version contains strobe effects and self-harm imagery that Russian censors labeled "inciting suicide." The uncut difference: The version on Western YouTube is often cropped or pixelated. The true uncut Russian-exiled version includes a 15-second scene of the two leads licking blood off a hammer and sickle flag. IC3PEAK was forced to cancel all Russian tours; the video is a badge of honor on the dark web. In the uncensored uncut version of this video,
: The Ministry of Culture can now revoke or refuse distribution licenses for content that "discredits or denies traditional Russian spiritual and moral values". Broadening "Drug Propaganda" The true uncut Russian-exiled version includes a 15-second
In 2012, Russia passed a law that gave the government sweeping powers to block websites and online content deemed to be extremist, pirated, or otherwise threatening to national security. The law was used to target a range of online content, including music videos, that were deemed to be too racy or subversive.
The repercussions extended to popular acts as well. The band Leningrad, known for its raucous style, saw —"Candidate," "No yna," "Ch.P.H.," "Ospa," and "Russky" —banned after a linguistic expert concluded the lyrics posed a "threat to the spiritual, moral, social, mental and physical health of minors". In a more extreme case, an associate professor at Bauman Moscow State Technical University faced a requested four-year prison sentence simply for having Ukrainian-language songs on his VK page.
The most famous example. St. Petersburg’s rave-raucous band Little Big (known for “Uno” at Eurovision) released the video for “SKAМ,” a grotesque, hyper-saturated satire of Russian political corruption, oligarch wealth, and police brutality. The uncut version features nudity, simulated drug use, and a scene where a Putin-like figure dances in a gold bathroom. Roskomnadzor banned it within 48 hours. The uncensored cut remains unavailable on Russian platforms but lives on via Telegram and VPNs.