Successive Cultural and Sports 'Russia Boycott'... Will It Send a Strong Anti-War Message to Russia?

International Paralympic Committee Bans Russia and Belarus from Participation
FIFA and UEFA Expel Russia from Hosted Tournaments
Film and Classical Music Communities Also 'Russia Boycott'
Focus on Whether 'Russia Boycott' Will Amplify Anti-War Sentiment Within Russia

Ukrainians residing in Korea are marching near the Russian Embassy in Jung-gu, Seoul on February 27, condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Wooseok] Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the 24th of last month, various sectors and social groups have been engaging in boycotts against Russia. In particular, the active boycotts in the cultural and sports sectors, which are familiar to the public, are drawing attention as to whether they can lead a strong anti-war public opinion.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics, which opened on the 4th. On the 3rd, the IPC held an emergency executive board meeting and decided to prohibit Russia and Belarus from participating in the Beijing Paralympics.

Previously, on the 2nd, despite the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s recommendation to ban Russian and Belarusian teams from international competitions, the IPC had announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes could participate in the Paralympics as neutral athletes. However, due to strong opposition from countries such as the UK and Canada, the IPC fully banned Russia and Belarus from the competition in less than a day.

The football world has already joined the boycott against Russia. The F?d?ration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announced on the 1st that Russian national teams and club teams are banned from participating in federation-organized competitions. In a joint statement, FIFA and UEFA expressed hope that "the situation in Ukraine will improve and football will once again become a medium of peace." Major tournaments organized by FIFA and UEFA include the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Champions League, and UEFA Europa League. In response to these measures, the Russian Football Union filed a complaint against FIFA and UEFA at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on the 4th, claiming the measures were unfair.

Individual club teams also appear to be following the Russia boycott. Manchester United FC and Everton FC from the English Premier League, and FC Schalke 04 from the German Bundesliga announced the termination of sponsorship contracts with Russian companies.

Kim Min-young, Head of Content for Korea and Asia-Pacific at Netflix, is speaking at the 2021 Content Lineup Introduction event held online on February 25, 2021.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The cultural sector as a whole is also actively taking steps. Netflix announced it would temporarily suspend all business and acquisitions in Russia, while The Walt Disney Company and Sony Pictures announced on February 28th that they would halt the release of all new films in Russian theaters. Warner Bros. also abruptly canceled the Russian release of the new film "The Batman" on the same day.

The Cannes Film Festival in France, one of the world's top three film festivals, announced, "The Cannes Film Festival supports the people of Ukraine and everyone on its territory," and stated that "Russian delegations and government-related individuals will not be invited to the festival held in May." The Stockholm International Film Festival also declared it would not invite films benefiting from Russian state funding, and the Jeonju International Film Festival, opening next month, issued a statement supporting Ukraine.

The classical music world is responding strongly as well. The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra dismissed world-renowned Russian conductor Valery Gergiev on the 1st. The city of Munich had demanded Gergiev, who has publicly supported Putin and Russia's annexation of Crimea, to state his position on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but he remained silent. Recognized as a master of Russian music, he, along with Russian pianist Denis Matsuev, was also forcibly excluded from a Carnegie Hall performance on February 25th. Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho performed as a substitute on that stage.

Voices condemning the invasion are also heard from artists within Russia. Vladimir Urin, General Director of the Bolshoi Theatre, and Vladimir Spivakov, conductor and violinist, signed a petition calling for the cessation of the invasion of Ukraine. Roman Hiller, dance director of the Stanislavsky Theatre in Moscow, Russia, resigned.

There is a view that the strong boycott wave in the cultural and sports sectors will amplify anti-war public opinion not only worldwide but also within Russia. Since culture and sports are inseparable from the public, the effect is expected to be even greater. Michael Payne, former IOC Marketing Director, told AFP in an interview, "Sports have always had a tremendous impact on society," adding, "If Russia loses the support of its people, the game is over. The actions of the sports world have the potential to greatly influence the Russian people."

Hugh Robertson, Chairman of the British Olympic Association, also analyzed that the cultural and sports sector's "Russia boycott" will deal a blow to Russia. He said, "Sports are very important to totalitarian regimes," and predicted, "(The Russia boycott means that Russia) potentially cannot compete in the cultural and sports sectors, which will be a huge shock to Russia."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.