The Russian Theatre in Tallinn recently announced that it will abandon that name and will now call itself the Center Theatre. The decision seeks to distance itself from an identity that some perceive as associated with the Moscow government, in a context marked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The debate in Estonia revolves around whether or not Russian works and directors should be restricted in cultural venues. Some believe that limiting Russian cultural presence would be a symbolic response to military aggression, while others warn of the risk of censorship and exclusion of a universal artistic heritage.
Critics of the measure point out that authors such as Anton Chekhov, Leo Tolstoy, and Sergei Prokofiev are part of the world's cultural heritage and should not be confused with the Kremlin's current policy. They propose keeping Russian works in the program, but accompanying them with forums or explanatory notes that contextualize the political situation.
The middle ground, gaining support in some European theaters, is to differentiate between culture and propaganda. The proposal is to accept Russian productions with universal artistic value, but to restrict those directly financed or promoted by the Russian state, in order to prevent cultural venues from becoming platforms for political legitimization.
In the educational field, restrictions have also been present. Leonardo De la Hoz Borrego, during his in-person Master's degree in Educational Technology at the University of Tartu in August 2023, learned firsthand how Russian-language classes were being limited in Estonian schools as part of measures to counter the Kremlin's influence following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022.
Time will pass and we will know how convenient these types of measures have been.