Numerous pro-Putin celebrities attended a controversial event despite Russia’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ “propaganda” and push to uphold traditional values.
Russian police overnight raided a Moscow venue after it hosted a controversial “Almost Naked’ party, attended by numerous high-profile guests and celebrities, including supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The police raid on the Mutabor night club came after outraged Russians reported the event to authorities, accusing participants of infringing on the country’s LGBTQ+ “propaganda” laws and not adhering to “traditional values” espoused by Putin and his government.
The scandal drew wide condemnation from Russia’s so-called Z-patriot camp and is seen as an embarrassment for Putin’s regime, whose embrace of “traditional values” became a key counterpoint to what it perceives as the decadent and “woke” ideology of the West.
The event—organized by Russian TV presenter and blogger Nastya Ivleeva— attracted a number of Russian celebrities including pop star Philipp Kirkorov, singer Lolita Milyavskaya and former presidential candidate Kseniya Sobchak.
The participation of Sobchak, whose father Anatoly Sobchak, was a mentor to Putin, attracted particular attention because of her political history, high profile and persistent rumors that she is the goddaughter of the Russian president.
Russian outlets that published accounts of the event claimed men were kissing on the dance floor and nude images were projected.
