Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Art Business

First Advisor

Brendan Burns

Second Advisor

Betsy Thomas

Abstract

This work explores the phenomenon of “cancel culture”, with a specific emphasis on the repercussions for Russian art, artists, and cultural institutions following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022. The study examines “cancel culture” as a reputational sanctions mechanism functioning across the modern media landscape. By analyzing selected case studies this paper addresses cases of performance cancellations, institutional distancing, the termination of cooperation with donors, and the revision of artwork attributions. Crucially, Russia’s exclusion from the dialogue is driven both by direct legal grounds, namely sanctions, and by indirect technical factors or those arising from the internal structure of the nation’s cultural infrastructure.  The role of media narratives is highlighted, as they tend to simplify complex processes and offer emotional interpretations, often at the expense of rigorous legal and cultural analysis. A key element of the work is the analysis of these phenomena from the perspectives of both the Western world and Russia, facilitated using original Russian language materials. In conclusion, it is argued that media representations of the “cancellation” of Russian culture frequently distort the complexity of the underlying processes. At the same time, in the climate of ongoing conflicts, it is necessary to develop approaches for the depoliticization of the cultural space to mitigate the risk of depriving future generations of access to a substantial portion of the world's cultural heritage.

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