Monstration Mock-iNation
In his analysis, Leiderman introduces the concept of “shimmering” to the reader, and I found that the departure from traditional methods of protest, specifically solidarity of narrative and vision, helped to obscure not only the intent of monstratstii. The use of this technique of obfuscation protects protestors from reprisals by authorities, though the organizers are not always as fortunate, but unlike their Soviet predecessors, contemporary protests take specific, “affirming” positions, albeit between opposing arguments.
There are several great exhibits cited by Leiderman to give us a deeper understanding of “what” a monstratsiya is and what it “does” (and/or doesn’t do). One such example followed the “annexation” of Crimea. In Novosibirsk in 2014 protesters appropriated the official language of authority “Crimea is ours” and made it “Hell is ours”. There is no need for regurgitating what Professor Leiderman wrote, but to better understand his narrative, I wanted to еxplore “why” he chose the exhibits that he did, and to do this, I chose this monstratsiya for a deeper dive.
I watched the video from start to finish, but from the beginning of the recording, I had to take screen shots of the YouTube video. There are many exhibits of material to choose from, but nonetheless there is a continuous theme: (officially) unattributable chaos. People were marching down streets in costumes that ranged from zombies to Pokémon to pirates; they were holding signs that were either not overtly defiant or apparently random; and wild music was being played that ranged from Ducktales to the theme from Super Mario Brothers.
In addition to the signs, costumes, and music, people were recorded shouting defensibly compliant slogans, such as “Слава Родине” (glory to the motherland). I will post several examples of how people looked, as well as the video itself, but there are a few signs that truly grabbed my attention as defiant, yet in the realm of absurd. The entire orchestration of this monstratsiya contributes to the preservation of the liminal space between the opposing narratives of “Steal Crimea” or “Don’t steal Crimea” or conservative and liberal. I’ll provide captions for a few of the pictures I do not mention, but my three primary exhibits from the video are: Lemongrab (defiant), “Bend the knee” (compliant), and nonattributable exhibits such as “I love MCR”.
Firstly, the defiant: Lemongrab. Lemongrab is a character from an American TV series called “Adventure Time”, and he was created by the main ally of the series protagonist for a single purpose: to be able to rule the Candy Kingdom as a stand-in in lieu of the reigning monarch, Princess Bubblegum. The problems with Lemongrab began immediately: he was a cruel, horrible, and inept tyrant, whose catch phrase was a “Unacceptable”. This would be spoken via a horrid shriek, and he was often at odds with the hero of the story, Finn, as well as his creator, Princess Bubble Gum. I believe this character was deliberately chosen by two protesters to demonstrate how they see Putin, Lavrov, Medvedev, or the whole of Russian government.
Secondly, In addition to shouting “Glory to the Motherland”, a protester chose to write “Kneel to authority”. I contend that this over-identification with compliance goes father than simply “obeying” their rulers, and is actually a perfect example of a “shimmering” poster. The idea that the government of Russia would wish for people to follow an antiquated etiquette of some medieval court That said, I believe the explicit purpose of the sign is to be defensibly complaint in the event authorities attempted to classify the monstratsiya as illegal, dangerous, or critical of authority and its official narrative.
Lastly, I believe that the entire monstratsiya can be summarized by the seemingly innocuous and irrelevant poster “I love My Chemical Romance” (MCR). To truly unpack the significance of MCR and its potential connection to monstratsiya, it would take pages upon pages of analysis of lyrics and the band’s history. Option 1: MCR was formed immediately following the tragedy of September 11th, which the seizure of Crimea may have been compared; Option 2: their most famous album, The Black Parade, begins with the tragic death of a main character, and death comes to this personage in the form of a parade, or “monstratsiya”; Option 3: Someone simply loves MCR, and felt the impulse to share that with the world. All things considered, this exhibit can be seen as a simple foolish or silly contribution to a disjointed, directionless parade.
There was a plethora of information put forth in several readings to better highlight the use of Over-identification and Subversive Affirmation, its connection to soviet traditions, and the possible direction they will continue to go, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this single the video for myself. Trying to find connections to and between these concepts and remediating protest in modern Russia is nearly overwhelming, but I hope that my over-analysis of a single exhibit in a single reading has helped to make these concepts a little more tangible and personal.
References:
Leiderman, D. (2021). Political Games of Chance: Monstrations and Their Ludic Tactics. In A. Semenenko, & A. Semenenko (Ed.), Satire and Protest in Putin's Russia (1 ed., pp. 145-168). Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan Cham. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76279-7
Novosibirsk Monstratsiya Video:
Монстрация-2014: «Ад наш». Новосибирск, Первомай. (youtube.com)