Russian artist Yulia Tsvetkova flees country after anti-LGBTQIA+ law

Russian activist artist Yulia Tsvetkova, born in 1993 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, has fled Russia for Lithuania with her mother Anna Khodyreva following the enactment of a new law signed by President Vladimir Putin that bans the dissemination of 'LGBTQIA+ propaganda' in public spaces, online, in advertising, books, and films. Tsvetkova had previously faced three years of prosecution on charges of pornography and 'gay propaganda' for her series 'The Vagina Monologues,' which depicted female genitalia to promote body positivity and feminist ideals. In November 2022, a court in Komsomolsk acquitted her, but in June 2022, the Russian Ministry of Justice designated her a 'foreign agent,' further restricting her rights and exposing her to legal risks. The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam acquired a series of her drawings in 2020. Tsvetkova stated from Lithuania, 'I am not in Russia now and I feel I have no right to speak about the cultural life of the country.' Her mother explained that despite the legal victory, it remains too dangerous for Yulia to stay in Russia.