Support The Moscow Times!

Kremlin Chief of Staff Says Twerking Is OK Under Right Circumstances

A video of the performance posted on YouTube shows six women shaking their butts near the city of Novorossiysk's Minor Land monument.

The Kremlin has responded to Russia's latest twerking scandal, with the presidential chief of staff saying that while there was nothing wrong with the dance, but the women who were performing it picked a poor location.

“I have nothing against twerk dancing, because I see it often among cheerleaders at basketball arenas,” Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Ivanov said, Interfax reported Monday. “As for the place that was chosen, I think that was done absolutely wrongly and unethically.”

The women were dancing in front of the Minor Land monument in the southern Russian city of Novorossiisk, which is dedicated to a hilltop outpost that the Red Army recaptured from the Germans during the Battle of the Caucasus in 1943.

Three of the women were sentenced to jail terms ranging from 10 to 15 days for petty hooliganism.

Two more dancers avoided jail time because health reasons and had to pay a fine instead, while the mother of a sixth dancer, who is under 16 years old, was fined for “failing to instill moral development” in her daughter.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more