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How Russia Turns Circuses and Theaters Into Yet Another War Propaganda Machine
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Russian wartime propaganda is increasingly being pushed into entertainment and the arts, from circuses to theaters, according to Verstka on April 2.
The Russian outlet reported that pro-war and patriotic messaging had become embedded in daily life across Russia, from schools and extracurricular activities to street banners, television programming, and even utility bills carrying military recruitment appeals.
Verstka noted that by the fifth year of the war, these themes had spread into areas once considered detached from politics, including circuses and theaters.
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Verstka reported that Russian circuses had incorporated military symbolism into performances.
Among the examples cited were footage of a monkey carrying a Russian flag while dressed in tricolor clothing, a tank-themed acrobatic act in the Zapashny circus
show “History,” and a motorcycle rally held by the Russian State Circus Company and the Stavropol circus for Russia’s flag day.
The outlet also reported that Rosgoscirc had granted free access to performances for participants in the Russian war against Ukraine and their families, allocating 25 complimentary seats per show at its branches.
In October 2025, the company stated that it had been holding special charity performances for veterans and war participants for three years, with 96,000 attendees recorded.
Verstka reported that militarized messaging had also expanded into the theater.
It cited the project “Our Uninvented Stories,” which staged performances in 10 cities from December 2024 to March 2025 based on accounts from Russian servicemen.
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The project had received more than $300,000 in funding from the Russian presidential fund for cultural initiatives, while total costs reportedly reached about $1 million.
The outlet reported that one of the productions, “Good Photos,” staged at Moscow’s New Theater, followed a wounded serviceman trying to arrange the funeral of a friend while facing bureaucracy.
Verstka also highlighted a production in Arkhangelsk titled “Bear,” centered on a participant in the war, which was later shown in Türkiye and promoted in local media as a play about a so-called “special military operation hero” being staged in a NATO country.
It concluded that while not all Russian cultural life had been overtaken by wartime themes, the broader trend was clear: the state had continued to fund, promote, and amplify performances centered on war, soldiers, and patriotism, while artists who opposed the official line or raised sensitive issues had faced cancellations, repression, or imprisonment.
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The same militarization of culture also appears to be feeding Russia’s efforts to project influence beyond its own borders.
Reports indicate that Russia has turned to the theater as another channel for projecting influence abroad, using cultural outreach to build ties with foreign actors and expand networks beyond formal diplomacy.
The effort appeared aimed at shaping narratives and cultivating sympathetic voices in international creative circles.
The initiative reflected a broader Kremlin pattern of using culture, education, and public events as instruments of soft power while Russia remained isolated over its war against Ukraine. In this case, the stage had reportedly become another venue for political outreach wrapped in artistic exchange.
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