Russia's culture minister bans a photo of two policemen kissing

In an example of how attempts to suppress free expression backfire, Guardian is <a href="http://

www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2189440,00.html">running a story</a> on how Russia's culture

minister (jeez, they have those?) banned a photo work <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/

article/0,,2189440,00.html">Kissing Policemen (An Epoch of Clemency)</a> by a "notorious" art

collective <a href="http://images.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=blue

+noses&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi">Blue Noses</a> from appearing in a Paris exhibit,

calling it a "political provocation... that would bring shame on Russia." The minister's last point is very

interesting because his own action has done just that.

how cultural!

How on earth did this guy get into the position of being culture minister? If he finds that photo upsetting, it speaks volumes about him and very little about Russia.

it is local never ending history to have culture ministers better suited for police work ;)

We're talking about Russia here. (I'm certainly not defending Russia.) In Russia homosexuality is illegal. That might be why a government hack in charge of exporting 'culture' might take issue with this side of Russia being exhibited.

 

At least in Iran they have no homosexuals. Ask Mr. Ahmadinajad. That must make things much simpler for Iran's Minister of Culture.