In the digital age, where most content is a click away, the idea of a "banned" music video feels almost archaic. Yet, in modern Russia, censorship has returned with a vengeance. Following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the subsequent tightening of "LGBT propaganda" laws, anti-war, and "extremism" legislation, Russia has become a black hole for artistic expression.
To watch an uncut IC3PEAK video in a Moscow apartment is to risk a raid by the Center for Combating Extremism. To share a Face video is to risk a criminal record.
Showing the preparation, consumption, or romanticization of illicit drugs or heavy alcohol use is strictly prohibited under youth protection laws. The Future of Underground Visuals
Public moralists and conservative groups repeatedly petitioned prosecutors to ban the video for promoting alcoholism and insulting the dignity of St. Petersburg. While it avoided a permanent federal ban due to Shnurov’s complex political navigation, it remains highly restricted and heavily censored on broadcast television. Strategies of Distribution: How Artists Bypass the Bans banned uncensored uncut music videos russia
Have you found a banned uncut video missing from this list? Archives are actively maintained at the Internet Freedom Collective.
The Russian government has consistently argued that censorship is necessary to protect the country's cultural and moral values. In a 2020 statement, the Russian Communications Ministry claimed that uncensored music videos were a threat to "traditional values" and "public morality."
More visceral are the videos released since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Artists like or IC3PEAK utilize the "uncut" aesthetic to show the gruesome reality the state denies. In IC3PEAK's work, the "uncensored" element is often literal: blood, police brutality, and the burning of government buildings. These videos are banned not for their shock value, but for their accuracy. They are banned because they pierce the televised illusion of stability. In the digital age, where most content is
While not banned outright, the uncut version of this Eurovision entry faced severe restrictions. The video celebrates Central Asian immigrant aesthetics, plus-size bodies, and traditional feminine strength. Russian state TV demanded cuts to any shots showing “unpatriotic” symbols or “provocative” body hair. The uncensored director’s cut was labeled “LGBTQ+ propaganda” by some regional courts because it includes a brief shot of two women holding hands in a crowd.
Disclaimer: Information regarding the specific censorship actions and the status of Russian music is based on reports from 2024–2026, highlighting the rapidly changing nature of content restrictions. Share public link
In 2012, Russia passed a law that prohibits the dissemination of information that "damages the spiritual and moral development of children." This legislation has been used to justify the censorship of music videos deemed too explicit or mature for younger audiences. To watch an uncut IC3PEAK video in a
Roskomnadzor blocked the video on YouTube within Russia for allegedly promoting illicit substances. The censorship escalated to a live flashpoint when local authorities shut down his concert in Krasnodar, leading Husky to perform on top of a car outside the venue, resulting in his immediate arrest and a brief prison sentence. 5. Pussy Riot – Various Visual Releases
To watch the uncut version of IC3PEAK 's "Марш" (March), where children scream obscenities at a line of police, is to understand the rage of a generation that doesn't exist on state TV. The uncensored versions preserve the real audio, the real visual context, and the real historical emotion.