Belgrade in Putin’s service – Russian festivals become propaganda tools

While most European countries view cultural cooperation with Russian state institutions as a propaganda tool, Serbia remains one of the few countries that is open to these activities – despite warnings about the political influence behind the culture.

A series of cultural activities are taking place in Serbia with the support of Russian state institutions, while most European countries have suspended cultural cooperation with Moscow following its aggression against Ukraine.

Belgrade-based director Janko Baljak sees this as part of the Kremlin’s propaganda strategy.

“We have a situation where, after the invasion and crimes in Ukraine, the Russian state is spreading its propaganda here without consequences,” Baljak told Radio Free Europe.

Several major cultural events took place in Serbia a few days ago: “Moscow Days in Belgrade,” “Russian Film Festival,” and “Days of Russian Spiritual Culture in Serbia.” These activities were carried out with the direct support of Russian state institutions, which are boycotted in Western countries due to their war policy.

During the “Moscow Days in Belgrade” on October 20, representatives of the Serbian and Russian capitals signed a memorandum on cooperation between the two cities. The chairman of the Belgrade Assembly, Nikola Nikodijević, announced numerous cultural and sporting events at which artists from Moscow will perform in front of Serbian audiences.

Several cities in Serbia also hosted the “Days of Russian Spiritual Culture,” a project of the Russian Ministry of Culture and the Russian Orthodox Church to promote the spiritual and moral values of the Russian people.

Another event supported by Moscow was the Russian Film Festival, organized by the state agency “Roskino,” which is involved in the international promotion of Russian cinema.

This year’s festival screened five films, two of which dealt with World War II and the “fight against fascism,” a motif that Russia often uses to justify its invasion of Ukraine.

Political scientist Boris Varga describes Roskino as an instrument of Russian “soft power.”

“The Russian state uses the interpretation of history as a cover for the Kremlin’s new imperialism. This became particularly aggressive after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022,” he told RFE.

After the start of the large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many European festivals – including Cannes, the Berlinale, and Venice – suspended cooperation with Russian state cultural institutions.

The French Ministry of Culture banned Roskino from participating in the Series Mania festival on the grounds that it represented “the interests of the aggressor state.”

However, not all Russian artists were excluded. Some festivals allowed films or works that criticize Putin’s regime or have no connection to the Russian state.

In Russia, authorities have tightened controls on art and media. In 2025, the Russian Duma passed a ban on films that “discredit traditional moral values,” while so-called “LGBT propaganda” had already been banned.

Recently, as part of a campaign to increase the birth rate, the promotion of a “childless lifestyle” was also banned.

In 2022, former Ukrainian Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko called on Western countries to boycott Russian culture, arguing that the Kremlin was using it to erase Ukrainian identity.

However, many cultural institutions in Europe are taking a selective approach: they prohibit cooperation with state organizations, but not with classical works such as those by Tchaikovsky.

Political scientist Varga emphasizes that a distinction must be made between art and propaganda:

“Classical culture, which is part of the world’s cultural heritage, should not be banned, but any project that is financed by the Putin regime or used for political purposes should be rejected.”

Director Janko Baljak shares this view:

“I would like to see more films that criticize the Russian regime, because I believe that the critical spirit in this great country has not yet been completely extinguished.”/Gazeta Express/