Russia’s Blacklist is a Terrorist Watchlist of Artists and Writers
Novosibirsk is Siberia’s most populated city. It is a city in which you will find the bustle of industry, exceptional sports teams, and a history of successful musicians. What you will not find in Novosibirsk is the freedom of artistic expression. In 2018, IC3PEAK, an experimental hip hop duo that finds itself on the Blacklist, was detained without any cause or charges. They were held long enough so that they were unable to perform. So, what is the Blacklist and why did IC3PEAK find themselves on it?
What is The Blacklist?
The Blacklist is the colloquial name for the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications‘ censorship program. Originally, the justification for creating such a program was to prevent Russians from accessing information about drug production, suicide methods, and child pornography. As would anyone, I don’t have any issue with making this information less easily accessible. The issue arose when their role expanded into censoring anything considered “extremist” on the web.
If censorship of extremism was intended to prevent ISIS from recruiting Russians online, it would be justified. Had it been used to prevent cyber terrorists from threatening citizens, this also would be justified. The problem is that it wasn’t used that way. To the surprise of few, the Blacklist was used to censor anything against the established rule and order. If the Kremlin was displeased with content, it would have the option to make their problems disappear.
Navalny and IC3PEAK
This approach to governance is consistent with Putin’s history. Of note, Alexander Navalny is a prime recent example of this. Navalny is the most well known opposition to Putin in present day Russia. The man was poisoned by his own government. Subsequently, he entered a coma and was treated in Germany. However, he was arrested upon his return to Russia for not meeting with his parole officer, despite the publicity of his coma. Navalny is tortured daily by being consistently woken which prevents him from getting any useful amount of sleep.
Putin’s approach to Navalny’s opposition is one of cowardice. Instead of engaging in debate and discussion, he silences and threatens those who stand in his way. IC3PEAK is treated no differently.
IC3PEAK’s music focuses largely on social commentary on modern life in Russia. Their music criticizes the police state and certain values the country holds. Given their counterculture stance, this is how IC3PEAK finds themselves on the Blacklist. The ramifications of this designation are real. Playing their music on the radio is illegal in Russia. While they are technically allowed to perform live, the beginning of this article highlights that even this can result in arrest.
The Soviet Union & Ramifications of The Blacklist
If the Blacklist reminds you of Soviet rule, you are not alone. My favorite Soviet composer is Dmitri Shostakovich. During Stalin’s rule, Shostakovich operated under the watchful eye of the government but also at odds with it on more than one occasion. After most of his work was banned, which allegedly had more to do with timbre and dissonance than politics, Shostakovich shifted to writing openly pro-Jewish works in an anti-Semitic Russia. He also regularly used a signature riff, which was known amongst his inner circle as a way for him to continually denounce the conditions he was forced to create under.
As Soviet rule became more stringent, Shostakovich became more open about his status as an agitator. While I’m not saying that they are on equal footing as creators, IC3PEAK is following in Shostakovich’s path when it comes to commentary. The firmer the grasp the Russian government has on what it’s people hear, the more freely the musician writes opposition material. The Blacklist provokes more anti-establishment creativity just as the Soviets did.
There are two crucial differences between Soviet censorship and the Blacklist. The first is that much of Russia has been down this path before and knows exactly what it looks like. The second is that government censorship of the internet only goes so far. Eventually, people learn about VPN services which allow them to bypass the censorship. When the curtain is pulled back, what do the people find? They uncover an entire subculture that exists which voices their concerns without fear of retribution. It is not because the consequences aren’t real. Detainment is very much real. It is because Russians know what it takes for totalitarianism to fall.
