Story perspectives
Russian Comedians Face Repression Amid Political Crackdown
2/22/2026
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Story summary
- A video by the Russian comedy group Plyushki has gained over 1.3 million views.
- Comedian Artemy Ostanin was sentenced to nearly six years in prison for jokes deemed offensive.
- A crackdown on political humor has limited content.
- Many comedians have altered their material due to state repression.
- Nurlan Saburov, a comedian from Kazakhstan, was banned from Russia for criticizing the war.
