The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics — which attracted criticism for its apparent reinterpretation of the Last Supper featuring drag performers — proved a gift for Russian propagandists. They jumped on the opportunity to rehash one of their favorite talking points — the decadence of a liberal Europe that has no respect for “traditional values.”
State TV channel Rossiya 1 said the ceremony was “a tasteless show for the needs of the day, featuring trans people and transvestites in a mockery of Bible stories (that) shocked many in France.” Talking heads described the ceremony overall as a “Walpurgis night,” a Pagan-esque festival that supposedly marks the night when witches would gather to perform rituals.
State-run news agency RIA Novosti described it as a “freak show with transvestites.” It complained about the inclusion of the LGBT+ community and the fact that Russia is barred, while Israel is allowed to compete. They adopted their long-standing practice of using “public” comments to highlight “outrage” at the ceremony — without providing any actual sources, thereby making it impossible to verify.
Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the Russian government’s official newspaper, quoted a French pensioner who allegedly complained about “Bacchanalia with transvestites [in which] not even Christ and his apostles were spared.”
Russian officials also criticized the opening ceremony. State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin called it “France’s shame.” While foreign ministry press secretary Maria Zakharova said it was “a mockery of a subject sacred to Christians,” adding that “since the Olympic rings are multicolored they in Paris think they can turn everything into a full-on Gay Pride parade.”
Why the world should care:
Russian propaganda never misses a chance to criticize the west, and the Olympics opening ceremony was a great example. Narratives about an erosion of everything sacred are regularly trotted out to promote the agenda of “traditional values,” which Russia purports to be a defender of.
Сотрудники Росгвардии задержали нетрезвого водителя в подмосковных Люберцах
Выставка «Я ты мы другое» в музее-квартире И.Д. Сытина
Сотрудники Росгвардии задержали нетрезвого водителя в подмосковных Люберцах
Филиал № 4 ОСФР по Москве и Московской области информирует:
2,5 млн жителей Москвы и Московской области получили пособия по временной нетрудоспособности с начала 2024 года
