In Kharkiv, bodies of those killed in the Russian missile attack on a residential building are still being extracted from the rubble.
Against this backdrop, episodes of hypocrisy are becoming even more acute, causing formal decency to burst at the seams. Is it the spring effect, or what?
1. Culture – outside politics?
Putinists are heading to the Venice Biennale. They will not represent themselves or abstract artists there. They represent the aggressor state, specifically those who killed children in Kharkiv today. That’s why they are forcing their way in.
Dozens of reputable art figures from different countries are publicly demanding to prevent this disgrace. Festival organizers are playing dead. The Italian authorities have distanced themselves and emphasized their support for Ukraine. But that’s not enough.
This would suffice for a public movement. You are in power. It’s literally within the government’s power to identify specific Russians and ensure they don’t have access to Italy. Since they don’t understand otherwise.
2. Science – outside politics?
The BBC Russian Service published a material with elements of an interview (responses transmitted through a lawyer) of the Russian archaeologist Aleksandr Butyagin, arrested in Poland. If anyone previously had any inclinations not to judge strictly under the principle “from sum and from prison…”, after repeated and concentrated duplicity, there should be no emotions left.
Butyagin naively states: “Political changes should not affect scientific research and hinder scientists. Scientific work, including archaeological excavations, is conducted not in the interests of a particular country or political group, but in the interests of world science.”
What about those Ukrainian scientists, including archaeologists, whom Russia has killed or maimed? Those whose home and profession have been taken away? What about those captured in Crimea and held hostage? Is it okay to hinder them?
Why didn’t Butyagin say this directly to Putin or at least Piotrovsky? Because he works precisely in the interests of this “political group.”
Butyagin is feigning tactical amnesia. Let’s refresh.
As an official of the Hermitage, along with the war criminal Mikhail Piotrovsky, Butyagin covered up everything that Russia did in Chersonesos (and not only there, it’s just more illustrative). When Russian military builders bulldozed and excavated Chersonesos, in the name of what science was this done?
And what about Butyagin? Not even as an official, but as a scientist? When journalists asked him, he could have at least remained silent. Say he was engrossed in his Myrmekion, found another shard, and wasn’t aware. But he declared that in Chersonesos there were grandiose finds! He was satisfied with everything.
The Russian federal budget for 2026 includes 2 billion rubles for the military-propaganda complex “New Chersonesos.” Additionally, 30 million rubles are allocated for organizing trips there for children from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.
“Scientific work cannot help or harm any aggression,” writes Butyagin. Really?
Butyagin ends his writings with a mind-boggling conclusion. Supposedly, he is paying for his belief in Europe! A martyr! Yet not a word about Russia. Butyagin assumes that Russia is allowed to kill scientists and destroy monuments, and he can assist in this, but Europe, from its traditions of humanity, should not have claims against him!
I repeat. In Ukraine, Butyagin is not threatened by anything except Russian missiles. During his trial after extradition, comfortable conditions can be ensured for him in Kharkiv.
3. Sports – outside politics?
The disgraceful story of allowing the Russian and Belarusian teams with flags at the Paralympics has already been discussed. But today, the head of the IPC hit rock bottom, claiming that disabled individuals among the Russian occupiers can fully participate in the Paralympics. And again – they will represent not themselves, but those murderers who fire rockets at residential buildings.
Invaded another country, killed, looted, raped? Got injured? Don’t worry! You will be socially integrated by the whole world!
But there was something even more vile, just concentrated vileness.
Public defender of pedophiles Viktor Shenderovich started clucking at Ukrainian commentators of the Ligue 1 football match between PSG and Monaco. He claimed they avoided mentioning the Russian citizenship of Matvey Safonov (PSG) and Aleksandr Golovin (Monaco). Shenderovich ended his piece with an attempt at a joke, suggesting that these footballers should be pardoned from Ukrainian claims, as they are not guilty of anything.
Let’s not go far. It’s unlikely Shenderovich doesn’t know that in November 2025, a match between the teams of Russia and Peru took place at Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg. Safonov and Golovin were in the starting lineup. Golovin was the captain of the team. So, these are not abstract independent athletes. These are highly paid professionals who chose to represent their country. That is, those who killed children today in Kharkiv. And hundreds of children across Ukraine.
Safonov and Golovin didn’t make any reservations like “we only represent good Russians, and we don’t represent murderers.” They proudly carry the banner of the murderers, they chose this themselves. There will be an occasion (as in 2018) – they will accept tokens of attention from Putin’s hands.
In March, Russia will play with Mali and Nicaragua. It will be doubly interesting to see the lineup.
Now various Shenderoviches run around with the same thesis.
The artists are not to blame. The scientists are not to blame. The athletes are not to blame. The trolleybus drivers are not to blame. The nannies in kindergartens are not to blame. The bakers and shoemakers are not to blame. The pan traders are not to blame. The drillers and surveyors are not to blame. Where are they—and where is Putin?! Even Mishustin is not to blame—he doesn’t decide anything!
This line inevitably ends with the idea that even Putin is not to blame! It’s all childhood trauma and an aggressive environment caused by the siege of Leningrad. Hitler is to blame for everything! And a bit of Mannerheim. Well, and the Anglo-Saxons…
No, my dear, it won’t be like that.
Only active support for Ukraine allows one to distance themselves from Russian crimes.
For everyone else—collective responsibility.
Photo: DSNS Kharkiv Oblast
