The president urged ministers to prioritize veterans returning from Ukraine as the basis of Russia’s new creme de la creme
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting on social and economic development of St. Petersburg urban agglomeration in St. Petersburg, Russia. © Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev
Veterans returning from the war zone in Ukraine should become Russia’s new elite, President Vladimir Putin has argued. He also called on Russian ministers to provide decommissioned military personnel with all the support necessary to facilitate this process.
During a Q&A session and press conference last month, the Russian head of state revealed that some 617,000 service members had been deployed in Ukraine.
Addressing ministers and top officials of St Petersburg on Friday, President Putin said: “I met today with students, who put their studies on hold, many of them, [and] went to the warzone.”
He added that “it’s out of these people that we should be forming the country’s elite in the future.” The Russian head of state described returning troops as those who can be entrusted with the country’s development.
“Hence, they should be supported [and] assisted,” President Putin concluded.
He also contrasted veterans with “people who, pardon me, expose their genitals or show their bottom” – an apparent reference to a private party featuring an ‘almost naked’ dress code organized by prominent Russian blogger Anastasia Ivleeva in Moscow last month.
Photos and videos from the event ended up on the internet, scandalizing conservative activists and authorities alike.
A number of Russian celebrities, mostly pop artists, were spotted at the party.
One attendee in particular, 25-year-old rapper Nikolai Vasilyev, aka Vacio, drew special attention as he sported nothing but a Balenciaga sock on his penis in the way of clothing. Some have since suggested that he was emulating Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis’ look from the 1990s.
Several days later, a court in Moscow found Vacio guilty of promoting LGBT values and sentenced him to fifteen days of administrative detention on top of a 200,000-ruble fine (just over $2,000). The rapper insisted that he merely wanted to “surprise the public,” adding that he is not an LGBT supporter.
In the wake of the party, organizer Ivleeva posted a few videos on her social media, expressing regret that videos of the private event had been made public. She also vowed to direct all the proceeds from the sale of tickets to charitable organizations.
Meanwhile, in late December a court deemed the ‘almost naked’ event to be LGBT propaganda under a law banning such activities that had been signed by President Putin in December 2022.
Last November, the Russian Supreme Court under the law recognized the “international LGBT movement” as an extremist organization and banned its activities in the country.
