MOSCOW (AP) — Top Russian cultural figures urged President Vladimir Putin on Friday to protect the freedom of artistic expression — something the Russian leader pledged to do, even as he warned artists to be careful not to offend religious believers.
A Moscow art gallery recently shut down an exhibition of nude photos by an American photographer after a raid by vigilantes.
In an emotional speech Friday, Alexander Sokurov, who won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2011 for his film “Faust,” strongly urged Putin to release Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison …read more
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
