The “Shall We Dance”-like concept airs on the Russian state channel Pervyj kanal and usually draws in several million viewers each season. Several of Vladimir Putin’s most outspoken supporters are part of this year’s venture: the newly married Olympic gold winners Viktorija Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, the controversial ice dance coach Aleksandr Zhulin and the singing star Polina Gagarina. OLYMPIC WINNER: Viktorija Sinitsina will dance to Vladimir Putin’s pipe during this year’s edition of “Istid”. Photo: SPUTNIK / Reuters Even before the first episode of the new season is broadcast, the content is causing a stir. These are participating in the TV show Aleksandr Zhulin’s team: Oksana Domina, Marat Basharov, Jelizaveta Arzamasova, Nikita Katsalapov, Tatjana Volosozyar, Vyacheslav Chepurchenko, Regina Todorenko, Aleksandr Enbert, Alla Mikhejeva, Ivan Bukin, Tatjana Totmjanina, Ivan Kolesnikov. Ilja Averbukh’s team: Yelena Ilinykh, Yegor Berojev, Valerija Lanskaja, Roman Kostomarov, Yevgenija Medvedeva, Danja Milokhin, Darja Moroz, Maksim Marinin, Natalja Podolskaja, Dmitry Solovjov, Viktorija Sinitsina, Ivan Skobrev. One number – performed by Jelena Ilinykh and actor Yegor Berojev – is dedicated to what the Russians refer to as the special operation in Ukraine. Ilinykh is said to have fallen under the number, but chose to focus on a different message: – I want every woman to wait for her man at the front, and if she sees this number and it gives her strength… It’s a bright number. I hope it will help and inspire, says Ilinykh, who is the Olympic champion in ice dancing from 2014. Thinks the rock legend is being abused The number was performed to Polina Gagarina’s interpretation of “Kukusjka”, a song originally written by the late Soviet rock legend Viktor Tsoj. – Tsoi was a poetic man of integrity, so it is a great pity that his music is misused. I think he would have been horrified that his music was used in this way, says Ivar Dale, senior adviser at the Norwegian Helsingforskomiteen. Tsoi is considered a musician and poet who was considered to have great integrity, and is, among other things, behind the song “Peremen” (change), which has been frequently used by the Belarusian opposition. Gagarina performed the song for the first time in the war film “The Battle of Sevastopol” in 2015. The port city is located on the annexed Crimean peninsula in Ukraine, where it EUROVISION PARTICIPANTS: Polina Gagarin performed Russia’s entry during the ESC finals in Vienna in 2015. Photo: DIETER NAGL / Afp A bloody battle took place between German and Soviet forces during the Second World War. – There are many who feel that the warm feelings for Soviet films, culture and poetry are destroyed when they are exploited in such a way, says Dale. Exploiting Soviet symbols When Russia marked the eighth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea with a grand propaganda show in Moscow in March, Gagarina performed the song again with a clear Z bow on her chest. During the number, they found space for a poem that was read out by one of Beroyev’s friends, a second-in-command of a squadron in the air defense of Russia. The poem “Zjdi menja” (wait for me) was written by Konstantin Simonov during World War II. – I know several people who are upset that Putin abuses these symbols and associations. Many things are tarnished by associating it with the terrible war against Ukraine, says Dale, who summarizes the criticism in three words: EXPERT: Ivar Dale works in the Norwegian Helsingforskomiteen and has a master’s degree in Russian. Photo: Håkon Benjaminsen / news – It’s disgusting. Actor: – We stand together Yegor Berojev has claimed in recent days that he is ready to go to the front, if his name is on the mobilization list. But first the ice dance will be shown on TV. – This is what we can do for our country. We cannot lose our hearts, we must raise our morale. On the inside too. We, actors and skaters, what can we do to win? We can raise morale, spread joy and the certainty that we will win and believe in the future of our country, says Berojev, according to RIA. CELEBRITY: Yegor Berojev with his actress wife Ksenia Alfjorova before the International Film Festival in Moscow in 2021. Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr / AP He believes that this type of program is more than entertainment, and that it can also help create unity among the population. – I believe that such programs are not only entertainment, but also help to unite. We try to make dance relevant to the times we live in. I’m not the one to decide if it’s appropriate or not. We all live under one set of regulations, in one country. We are all here, no one disappears. We stand together with our country, and what happens, happens. Expert: – Presented as non-political The Ukrainian singer Regina Todorenko is also among the participants. She was born in Odesa and educated in Kyiv, but now lives in Russia with her Russian husband Vlad Topalov. She was recently put on the sanctions list of the Ukrainian authorities. Associate professor at NMBU, Kirsti Stuvøy, believes that this type of TV broadcast is unlikely to have been created by politicians, but that Pervyj channel chooses topics based on their mandate. – It is about them thinking their mission is to find ways to mobilize support for Putin, and it is presented as apolitical when it is part of this programme, Stuvøy tells news. Stuvøy believes it is important to see it in the context of what has happened in recent months. Recently, Alla Pugacheva, one of the country’s biggest stars, criticized the war before she left Russia. – She has been one of the forerunners of the many critical voices in the wake of the mobilization. It is already clear in the public space that there are different voices among cultural actors. – How widely will this affect? – It is hard to say. Before the war, there was already a clear skepticism towards the messages on television and especially state television. Many perceived that this was propaganda. Therefore, the point is that this is a communication in a polarized context. The reprisals against critics are stronger now than before February. The understanding of television as a communication channel for the Putin regime is broadly rooted, says Stuvøy. GOLD WINNERS: Three of the members of the Russian ice dance team in Sochi in 2014 are featured in this year’s edition of Ice Time: Dmitrij Solovyov (two from the left), Jelena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov (three and two from the right). Photo: BRIAN SNYDER / Reuters
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