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

Some of Our Books

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
The Samovar Murders

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.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

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.
Murder at the Dacha

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.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

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