Russian authorities cancel Halloween festival, calling it “Satanist”

 

Authorities in St. Petersburg shut down the two-day Nekro Comic Con Halloween festival, calling it a “Satanist event.” Organizers were detained, and one attendee was arrested for wearing “extremist symbols.” The festival was canceled just hours after it began.

Source The New York Times

Analysts say the move is part of the Kremlin’s broader cultural campaign to suppress Western influences. Russian officials have increasingly linked holidays like Halloween and Valentine’s Day to “moral decay” and Western liberalism.

Despite the bans, many young Russians continued celebrating in bars and clubs, dressing up in costumes. Experts argue that such crackdowns are unlikely to stop youth from engaging with global culture and Western traditions.