September 24, 2024

Forced to Be Sorry


Forced to Be Sorry
BlackBerry Android Smartphone.
Maurizio Pesce, Wikimedia Commons.

According to the independent publication DOXA, at least 120 forced public video apologies have been published on Russian official and unofficial platforms since the beginning of the year. More than a quarter of them are related to the Russian War on Ukraine. People have apologized for actions such as playing the Ukrainian anthem or liking a post featuring the Ukrainian coat of arms.

In the videos, people typically stand in police stations or places of detention as they express regret for their actions. Apologies are made not only for supporting Ukraine but also for offenses like incorrectly placed advertising on billboards. For example, in Altai, a banner featuring a portrait of a deceased participant in the "special operation" was blocked by an election banner months before voting day. A scandal erupted as residents complained that such advertising "pushes heroes into the background." 

However, the apologies are not limited to actions or statements related to the war in Ukraine. In at least 35 "repentant" videos, individuals have asked for forgiveness for petty hooliganism or insults directed at both individuals and monuments commemorating the Great Patriotic War. At least 16 videos contain apologies for fights or insults based on nationality, often involving labor migrants from Central Asian countries.

In some cases, people are forced to apologize for actions that seem to barely fit the definition of hooliganism. In May, blogger Rustam Sarachev was forced to apologize after criticizing residents of the Republic of Dagestan for rejecting lectures on sex education and for divorce.

The practice of public video apologies began in Chechnya in the mid-2010s, when individuals who publicly insulted the head of the republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, "repented" on camera. Kadyrov’s former representative, Salaudin Mamakov, later said members of the Chechen diaspora monitor for cases of insults against Kadyrov. If law enforcement is involved in time, he said, such individuals can be found quickly, and an "explanatory talk" ensures they understand their wrongdoing. Mamakov noted that this practice was "put on stream" in Chechnya.

Following Chechnya, the practice of public apologies spread across Russia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, videos were recorded of individuals accused of distributing "fake news" about the virus. Similarly, during protests in support of opposition politician Alexei Navalny, participants in rallies were recorded apologizing. Human rights defenders group OVD-Info have observed an increase in public apologies since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

You Might Also Like

Russian Anxiety on the Rise
  • August 26, 2024

Russian Anxiety on the Rise

Russian anxieties about the war are increasing in response to Ukraine's offensive into the Kursk region. 
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals
[INVALID]
[INVALID]

Some of our Books

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955