November 08, 2023

No More Music


No More Music
Cover of the "Sisters" podcast about the war in Ukraine, removed from Russian streaming. t.me/privetinoagent.

Russian streaming service Yandex.Music expunged 4,333 songs, videos, podcast episodes, and album covers during the first nine months of 2023, at the behest of Roskomnadzor, the Russian government agency responsible for overseeing and regulating telecommunications within the country.

According to Russian news outlet RBK, the primary justifications for removing the content were the dissemination of "fake news" pertaining to the Russian war in Ukraine, content that discredited the Russian armed forces, materials that described or promoted non-traditional sexual relationships, information about methods of self-harm or suicide, the publication of materials categorized as extremist, or content that expressed explicit disrespect for the state, the constitution, official state symbols of Russia, its president, as well as any content promoting drug use, pornography, and even "justifications of pedophilia."

Among the purged content were Ukrainian songs, such as the folk song "Chervona Kalina," as well as songs like "Ya yidu v ZSU" ("I'm enrolling in the Armed Forces of Ukraine") by MC Chipollino. Russian artists who voiced opposition to the war in Ukraine also had their songs deleted, including "Eto proydet" ("This Will Pass") by the punk band Pornofilmy, which was dedicated to the Moscow protests of 2019.

A substantial amount of content, including podcasts, was removed. Yandex.Music recently blocked access to the podcast "Privet, ti inoagent" ("Hello, you are a foreign agent") produced by journalists Sonya Groysman and Olga Churakova. This action was taken after the release of the new season of  "Sestry" ("Sisters"), which explores the lives of Russian families with members fighting in Ukraine. Additionally, Yandex.Music eliminated "Kholod" publication's podcast about the war between Russia and Ukraine, the Meduza podcast "Deadline," which discusses Russian media in wartime conditions, as well as various other independent media podcasts. In October 2022, Yandex.Music also restricted access to the Meduza podcasts "Signal" and "Chto Sluchilos" ("What Happened").

It was previously reported that Yandex.Music would implement content censorship through the utilization of artificial intelligence and manual review processes. Furthermore, Russian authorities were planning to employ artificial intelligence for content censorship on the Russian-language internet, commonly known as RuNet.

You Might Also Like

Not My Cab of Tea
  • October 19, 2023

Not My Cab of Tea

The Netherlands is investigating whether Yandex's ride-sharing app is sharing data with Russia's FSB.
A Video Song-Apology
  • August 16, 2023

A Video Song-Apology

Three waterpark employees in Crimea were fined and forced to sing "Vladimir Putin is Great" after dancing to a Ukrainian song.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

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.

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.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

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 Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
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. 

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