[spectre] meanwhile in Russia

[Janos Sugar]

The draft policy document, entitled "Foundations of State Cultural 
Policies", that has been proposed by the Russian Ministry of Culture 
and supported by the Minister of Culture, Vladimir Medinsky, has 
evoked "extremely mixed reactions" in Russia itself, according to 
Shcherbakova. "It is especially dangerous for us, people living in 
Russia, to in some sense reject modernisation."
http://hro.rightsinrussia.info/hro-org/culturalpolicy

In April, the Russian Ministry of Culture issued a document that 
declared "Russia is not Europe," and argued that Europe was morally 
inferior, even reprehensible. In May, the culture minister, Vladimir 
Medinsky, was to visit Venice to accept an honorary fellowship from 
the University Ca' Foscari. He never made it to Italy, though. 
Professors and students protested the university's choice and, at the 
last moment, the ceremony was canceled.
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/117896/vladimir-medinsky-russias-culture-minister-putin-toady