The Kaliningrad historical reconstruction centre “Kaup” has been fined 800,000 roubles (US$8,700) under the “LGBT propaganda” law (parts 1 and 3 of Article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offences), reports Mediazona.
The reason was photographs featuring sex toys and women kissing, which appeared on the project’s social media pages. According to the centre’s director, Anastasia Tarasova, the pictures were taken at an 18+ party called “From Dusk Till Dawn,” which was held on Kaup’s premises by an outside organiser.
The centre is known as “Viking Settlement” and hosts re-enactment festivals and the “Night Kaup” shows. In 2023, the pro-government movement “People’s Call” already complained about its events, accusing the project of “promoting occultism and neo-paganism.” Protocols against the centre had previously been drawn up under the same articles, with the materials reviewed by the Zelenograd district court in Kaliningrad region (on the Baltic Sea, westernmost Russia). Kaup has stated that the accusations are absurd and have nothing to do with their activities.