14 DAY TRIAL // Russian president Vladimir Putin is known for his conservatism and has already positioned himself as the world's leading defender of traditional values. After the anti-gay propaganda law and the attack on press freedoms, the Kremlin leader has now set sights on the Russian language, specifically on its profane vocabulary known as “mat.”
On Monday, Putin signed off a new law banning all swearing and potty-mouthed words in arts, culture and entertainment, including movies, television broadcasts, theatres and the media. As such, from July 1, cursing will be banned at public events in the country.
The new legislation prescribes punishments for all people who use naughty language in arts and media, including fines from $70 (€50) to $1,400 (€1,000), depending on whether the offender is a private citizen, an official, or a business.
Those who break the law repeatedly (who let slip a swear word, that is) could face higher fines and a 3-month suspension of business. The law refers here to writers, artists and reporters.
Moreover, films that use bad language won't receive approval for distribution in the country, while copies of books, CDs or existent movies that contain explicit language will only be distributed in a sealed package with a label saying “Contains obscene language.”
“[The new law] bans the use of obscene language while ensuring the rights of Russian citizens to the use of the state language, and protecting and developing language culture,” a statement from Kremlin says.
According to the New Yorker, the Russian Orthodox Church and conservative legislators in Moscow have long sought such a law, because they consider the use of bad words as a manifestation of liberal influences from the West.
The Institute of Russian Language at the Russian Academy of Sciences already pointed out four words that constitute swearing and will be banned, but a final list of specific curse words has not been compiled yet. By the looks of it, a panel of experts will determine what counts as a swear word.
On the other hand, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture told The Moscow Times that the new measures will only concern mass culture and will not apply to matters of art.
“The law is not aggressive; its only aim is to regulate this sphere, so that swearing will have its purpose. It will be up to the artistic director to decide what to do with swearing, whether to break the new law or not, we will not interfere in the process,” the spokesperson said.
Many have criticized the new law, saying that it will limit freedom of expression and will promote conservatism.