Celebrities and socialites gathered on April 12 for an almost-naked party at a Moscow nightclub, causing a wave of controversy in Russia.
The event, aptly titled “Almost Naked”, was held at Moscow’s swanky IVE nightclub and was organized by the nightclub’s manager. Among the celebrity guests were Russian actors, musicians, and Instagram stars.
The Instagram stars, including models and beauty influencers, wore skimpy outfits such as lingerie and bikinis. For male guests, a common outfit was just their underwear.
The party sparked a fierce backlash and was widely condemned as indecent by Russian social media users, who also raised concerns that the guests were flaunting wealth and ostentatiously displaying materialism. Moreover, some online commenters called into question the safety of such an event, given the risk of COVID-19 spread.
The damning first-hand footage posted by party-goers freed anger and indignation on every social media platform in Russia – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and more.
Two of the Instagram celebrations at the event, Katomash Olga and Dimitry Iassonov, apologized publicly soon after the backlash intensified. However, their apology was mostly criticized as not being sincere or heartfelt.
The heated public reaction prompted Moscow’s authorities to launch an investigation into the event to determine whether it violated any health and safety regulations. It is unclear at this point what consequences, if any, the club or its guests will face.
In the wake of this incident, many argue that Russia’s moral standards of decency and appropriateness are still far behind other European countries. Nevertheless, the club’s manager had the last word, offering to hold a similar but more up-to-code event soon. Whether or not Russian society is ready to see similar events again, only time will tell.
