The public council of the Ministry of Culture has proposed limiting the activity of foreign circuses operating in Russia, with a view to protecting the nation’s “unique” brand of big-top entertainment.
Announcing the proposals, the chairman of the council, Pavel Pazhigailo asked why Russia “should protect gherkins and tomatoes but not culture” — a reference to agricultural measures taken by the Russian government in response to international sanctions against the country.
“Our circus culture is highly professional, it hasn’t developed along the lines of light entertainment, objectively it is more precious,” he continued. Pozhigailo also noted that Russian circuses could not compete with the budgets of famous foreign brands like Cirque du Soleil. In 2008, the French company announced long-term investment in the Russian market, with its partner company Cirque du Soleil Rus now active in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
The proposals, which include a legal limit on the number of performances by foreign circus companies per year as well as stricter regulation of non-Russian performers, were submitted in December 2016 and set for ministerial consideration at the end of this month.
{ SOURCE: The Calvert Journal | https://goo.gl/fDFQO2 }
