Going UNDERGROUND

The oppression of the LGBTQI+ community in Russia is common knowledge – 2013’s “homosexual propaganda” law has been reported on at length in the world’s media.

With every homophobic attack and prosecution of activists, such as Yulia Tsvetkova, it seems, seven years on, the situation is getting worse. But something you won’t hear about in the news is the thriving underground queer scene, which encompasses film, music, magazines, festivals and small businesses. Russian queer culture is unique both in its semi-illegal mode of existence and the mix of influences under which it was formed; often inspired by western queer culture, but finding a unique language and mode of expression based on Russian history, literature and popular culture.

In the 90s, queer culture made it into the mainstream for the first time. With the fall of the Soviet Union, subsequent decriminalisation of homosexuality and a general atmosphere of freedom, queerness found a place