When Soft Power Turns Hard: Cancel-Culture Controversy During the Russian-Ukrainian War

Russian aggression against Ukraine evoked nearly universal international condemnation but got much less unanimous response in more practical terms of political, economic, and other sanctions. Many countries refused to introduce any measures against the aggressor state. Culture appeared to be the most controversial field, where even the Western democracies, rather unanimous in their response to the Russian assault, failed to achieve any consensus on suitable measures and policies vis-à-vis the rogue state. While virtually nobody questions the need of sanctions against the specific persons and institutions that support the war, the wholesale rejection of Russian culture and cancelling of its iconic figures is often vehemently denied. The lecture will delve into the essence of these debates, trying to answer a fundamental question: To what degree and in which way a seemingly innocent, apolitical cultural ‘soft power’ contributes to the militant ‘hard power’ of the aggressor state during the war.