Abstract

Political satire in Russia has always had a hard life: first opposed by the czarist power, then by the Soviet totalitarianism, finds relief only during the first Yeltsin presidential term, before tasting again the sharp blade of censorship with the rise of Putin and Medvedev. The enemies of satire have always been at the center of the power in Russia: they have just changed their methods, although the will to mutilate the freedom of speech and expression in the Country has remained the same. Indeed, if czarist power was used to arrests and seizures, current censorship works behind the scenes, affecting the media and public opinion.