Dangerous and Moving? Disability, Russian Popular Culture and North/Western Hegemony

Abstract

This article analyses the 2005 video clip and the song Люди Инвалиды (‘Lyudi Invalidy’, literally translated as ‘disabled people’ in English) of the pop duo t.A.T.u. Through an analysis of the song and the video and public and activists’ reactions to it within Russia, the authors seek to contribute to the existing discussions on the notions of инвалидность (‘invalidnost’’, the Russian term for disability) in the context of post-soviet Russia and the problem of relating these notions to English-speaking disability discourses (Iarskaia-Smirnova 2001; Gains 2004; Hartblay 2005; Phillips 2009). The authors investigate t.A.T.u.’s usage of the term инвалидность (‘invalidnost’) and relate it to the term's usage within the broader socio-political context of Russia. Considering the place where the song and the video were produced – Los Angeles – and their target audiences – both Russian and North/Western – we argue that the video and the song must be read as cases of cultural translation between the Russian ‘invalidnost’’ and the North/Western disability, queer, and crip discourses. t.A.T.u. imported North/Western cultural images and meanings of disability and queerness in their video and songs. While these images and meanings can be read as empowering in the North/Western context, these images intersect problematically with discriminatory discourses on invalidnost’ in the Russian context. Considering Russian disability activists’ reactions to the song the authors argue that the cultural translation of these North/Western concepts produce derogatory meanings of invalidnost’ within the Russian context rather than inspiring acceptance or appreciation