Almost Naked Party

The Almost Naked Party was an event held by Russian blogger and TV presenter Nastya Ivleeva in Moscow on 20-22 December 2023, attended by many Russian celebrities. The event was criticized by pro-Russian propagandists as allegedly promoting LGBTQ+ values and inappropriate while Russian soldiers are dying in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. Many attendees publicly apologised for having attended. This was notable as those attended were generally supportive of the ruling regime under Vladimir Putin and had previously avoided criticism.

## Event[edit]

The event was a Christmas dress-up ball held at Moscow's Mutabor nightclub[1] on 20-22 December 2023.[2] The suggested dress code for the party was to be "almost naked" and many attendees wore minimal clothing, with women in lingerie-themed outfits.

Russian rapper Vacio wore just training shoes plus a single sock on his genitals.[3] Ivleeva spoke of wearing 23 million roubles worth of diamonds and emeralds in her outfit.[4]

### Attendees[edit]

Attendees included many celebrities who have stayed in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine and are broadly seen as being supportive of the Putin regime. They included:

* Nastya Ivleeva (organiser), TV presenter, actor and blogger[3][5]
* Anna Asti, singer[6]
* Dima Bilan, singer and actor[3]
* Filipp Kirkorov, singer[3][1]
* Lolita Milyavskaya, singer and actor[6]
* Ksenia Sobchak, TV presenter and socialite, rumoured to be Putin's goddaughter[1]
* Vacio (Nikolai Vasilyev), rapper[3][1]

## Criticism[edit]

Footage of the event spread on social media and led to criticism from pro-war commentators (including Vladimir Solovyov, a television propagandist[1]), state officials, politicians and the Russian Orthodox Church.[5] Vladimir Putin was reported to have been unhappy about the event[5] and to have demanded punishments.[4] The issue became a public scandal[7] and dominated news reporting in Russia for several days.[5]

Critics said the event was insulting to Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine and that the event promoted LGBTQ+ values, illegal under Russian law. Soldiers in Ukraine were reported to have complained about the event.[5]

Two days after the party, Vacio was sentenced to 15 days for "disorderly conduct"[8][9] and fined 200,000 roubles for "promoting non-traditional sexual relations".[4][3][1]

Tax authorities opened an investigation into Ivleeva. She is also facing a lawsuit from a group of individuals demanding she pay 1 billion roubles for "moral suffering" (with the money to go to Ukraine war veterans).[5]

Many of the attendees were "cancelled", with advertising contracts ended and concerts cancelled.[1] Ivleeva lost her contract with mobile phone operator MTS.[5] She donated proceeds from the party to charity.[10]

BBC News suggested that the criticism reflected a need for the Russian ruling class to generate scapegoats in the face of poor progress towards Russia’s war aims in Ukraine. Opposition activist Maxim Katz was quoted: "For the first time in a long time, the system has pushed back against those who supported all its rules, as long as they weren't applied to them."[3] Pjotr Sauer writing in The Guardian described it as "one of the starkest examples to date of how Vladimir Putin is moving the country in a conservative and anti-liberal direction."[1]

## Response to criticism[edit]

Ivleeva, Kirkorov, Milyavskaya,[6] Sobchak and others apologised on social media.[3][4] Ivleeva released two apology videos.[5][6] Bilan stressed that he was conservatively dressed and not responsible for how others dressed.[3]

## See also[edit]

* LGBT people in the Russo-Ukrainian War

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Sauer, Pjotr. "Russian rapper jailed amid backlash over 'almost naked' party at Moscow nightclub". The Guardian.
2. ^ "The apologists. Russian stars who attended the 'Almost Naked' party in Moscow last week are now attempting to outdo each other in asking the public for forgiveness".
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Russian celebs at 'almost naked' party stung by backlash". BBC News. 27 December 2023.
4. ^ a b c d "Rapper jailed for wearing just a sock at 'almost naked' Club Mutabor party".
5. ^ a b c d e f g h https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-stars-semi-naked-party-sparks-wartime-backlash-2023-12-28/
6. ^ a b c d Time, Current. "Organizer, Celebrities Who Attended 'Almost Naked' Party in Moscow Rush to Apologize Amid Backlash". Radiofreeeurope/Radioliberty.
7. ^ "An 'almost naked' party of Russian elites brings on jail time, a lawsuit and apologies". ABC News.
8. ^ "Russian rapper at 'almost naked party' jailed as part of Putin anti-gay crackdown". Independent.co.uk.
9. ^ "Russia's 'almost naked' party: Rapper jailed for 15 days over risqué costume".
10. ^ "The apologists. Russian stars who attended the 'Almost Naked' party in Moscow last week are now attempting to outdo each other in asking the public for forgiveness".