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

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.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

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.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

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.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

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...

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

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