ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses some of the artistic strategies of resistance that have been adopted under the conditions of the new official paradigm of neo-conservative authoritarian thought in Russia since 2012. The first part of the book provides the context – policy and zeitgeist – for contemporary art in Russia since 2012. The second part presents voices from the Russian art scene, while the third part presents a selection of artistic counterstrategies. The fourth and final part of the book focuses on theatre to demonstrate that similar trends and developments to those in the field of visual art also exist in other cultural spheres. It describes the conservative ideological offensive that resulted in conflict between people in the theatre, on the one hand, and local authorities, the church and representatives of extreme rightist organizations, on the other.
