Written by Anastasiia Ratieieva, UCMC Analyst
The opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympics took place in Paris. For the first time in history, a parade of participating countries was held outside the stadium, with sports delegations floating down the Seine River in boats. The French capital was transformed into an enormous backdrop for the event, which celebrated the host country’s culture and historical milestones.
Over 3,500 actors, dancers, and performers recreated a colourful palette of images from various historical epochs and events, including the French Revolution, the Paris Commune, the theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, and more. Historical figures such as Joan of Arc, Marie Antoinette, and Edith Piaf shared the stage with mythological beings (Seine, the Gallic-Roman goddess of the Seine River), literary characters (Arsène Lupin, the Phantom of the Opera), and even a video game character from Assassin’s Creed (created by the French company Ubisoft).
The media focus was fixated mostly on the “parody” of “The Last Supper” (a painting by Leonardo da Vinci depicting Jesus Christ and the apostles). The participants in the “supper” at the Olympic opening ceremony were primarily played by drag artists. The central figure was portrayed by Barbara Butch, a well-known DJ and LGBT activist. This aspect of the show echoed President Macron’s speech, which stated that the ceremony would feature a “great story of emancipation and freedom,” highlighting events ranging from the French Revolution to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
However, even in Western countries, this scene elicited mixed reactions. Religious organisations, as well as some political and financial figures, criticised the performance.
The controversy prompted the organisers to apologize for the contentious scene. Anna Decam, a representative of the Paris Olympics organizing committee, stated that there was no “intention to show disrespect to any religious group” and that the performance was intended to convey the concept of “tolerance.” Art director Thomas Jolly shared a similar sentiment, stating that he wanted to “send a message of love and inclusivity, but in no way divide people,” depicting a “pagan feast” rather than “The Last Supper.”
Nonetheless, Russian propaganda completely disregarded these arguments, seizing the opportunity to fuel further disinformation campaigns. And so Moscow used the opening ceremony, and all the backlash that came with it, to launch a discrediting campaign against the entire Olympics.
The Kremlin’s information warfare campaign is, of course, primarily directed at domestic Russian propaganda consumers. The goal of Putin’s ideologues is to persuade the average Russian that Russia’s absence from the Olympics (with the exception of a dozen “neutral” athletes, whom pro-government commentators label traitors) is actually beneficial to the “mental health” of the Russian people. They argue that removing the “detrimental influence” of the Olympics would help to strengthen the prestige of the “state” as a bastion of traditional values.
Thus, Moscow’s primary criticism of the competitions, from which Russians were barred due to their aggressive war against Ukraine, is directed at Western progressive values. By focusing on one aspect of the ceremony, Russian propagandists “stretch” it to cover the entire agenda of the Paris Olympics, unquestionably undermining France’s and the West’s global prestige.
In this context, the Hybrid Threat Analysis Group identified some “characteristic” reactions of Russian propagandists.
Igor Maltsev, writer and publicist.
“This spectacle of a provincial gay club has nothing to do with sports or the so-called values of the Olympic movement.”
Yulia Vitiazeva, propagandist:
“Hell is completely empty. It’s a good thing we didn’t see it or have it shown to us.
Andrey Gurulyov, State Duma Deputy:
“…inadequate people who impose such an agenda are in charge of leading nations! What is going on in France, with that fool Macron and his nuclear weapons? To what degree are they predictable? This is utterly inadequate.”
Dmitry Peskov, Russian President’s Press Secretary:
“We have known about the French Republic’s peculiarities for a long time. It’s difficult to believe that the IOC approved this for such a large international audience, but this is reality. It’s disgusting, and it’s illegal in our country. We can only be glad that our viewers did not witness this.”
BaiBaiden, Telegram Channel:
“They could have taken our Olympics as an example, but they prefer Sodom and Gomorrah.”
Dmitry Medvedev, former president of Russia:
“I’m not even going to talk about the Olympics in Paris; it’s a disgusting spectacle. France, under Macron, has degenerated to the level of a whore mocked by an ungodly mob.”
“TV Center,” Pro-Kremlin media:
“Many compared the ‘performance’ in Paris to the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Sochi in 2014. Some French citizens even expressed a desire to relocate to Russia.
Vladimir Legoyda, Russian church and public figure:
“Those who publicly mock Christianity in front of a satisfied, drunkenly ignorant audience want to draw blood so that the immobilized body of French culture no longer shows any signs of life. This can only elicit deep, genuine sorrow. One hopes that there are French people, simple Christian families, who are devoted to their faith and roots. Their presence symbolizes life and the future.
Vakhtang Kipshidze, Russian churchman and public figure:
“The directors of the Olympic opening demonstrated their contempt for European civilization, which is founded on Christianity. It is regrettable that, in the heart of Europe, a godless counterculture has emerged, mocking Christianity in the same way that a monkey mocks a human.”