Russian agency mulls age-rating for “adult” artworks

Children under 18 may be banned from looking at “adult” artworks in museums and galleries across Russia, according to a report in state-owned newspaper Izvestia. The report states that Rozkomnadzor, the government agency responsible for mass media, has drafted a set of guidelines on “information safety” for children and adolescents, which includes the suggestion of an age-rating system for works of art.

The article, based on documents seen by Izvestia journalists, adds that Rozkomnadzor planned to publish a paper on the dangers of art for parents, educators and employees of cultural institutions. Rozkomnadzor, which has in the past denied such claims, failed to respond to Izvestia in time for publication.

Irina Antonova, president of the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, said that while some museums around the world had artworks that came with an age rating, these tended to be “outright pornography”. She added that a ban on allowing children to view artworks containing nudity, such as Michaelangelo’s David, would be “madness”.