Officials are continuing to target kinky parties and LGBTQ+ gatherings in Russia, particularly parties focused on BDSM and swinging. Raids and formal reprimands of these parties have been frequent since December 2023, when Russian celebrity Nastya Ivleeva hosted an event and received intense backlash.
Shortly after, in February 2024, the popular sex-positive organisation Kinky Party announced it was shutting down after receiving a formal warning from Russian officials. Other organisations followed suit soon after.
Even elite events and organisations are not safe from the crackdown on these kinky parties in Russia. Organised at St. Petersburg’s Palace Hotel, the “Inferno Mystical Ball” was raided by officials in September 2024.
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Many of the negative sentiments surrounding sex parties in Russia come from people seeking to uphold Russian laws that ban LGBTQ+ advocacy and anti-Christian beliefs.
In response to these raids and closures, organisers of kinky and swinging parties have been forced to readjust drastically. The BDSM community is returning to the underground, which is where it originated in Russia in the 1990s.
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The “underground” in Russia most often looks like a house party or a private event in a rented space with very selective invitations. Guests can enjoy the pleasures of these sex parties, but they must pay an entry fee and vow to keep a low profile.
Unfortunately, in order to protect their staff and participants, certain organisers publicly denounce queerness in their sex parties and claim to only accept traditional Russian family values. Some organisers have banned LGBTQ+ participants from events, whereas others recognise the hypocrisy in doing so.
In certain select invitation and screening processes, questions about LGBTQ+ relations and attitudes will be included in the form. If an applicant has extreme homophobic views, they won’t continue in the screening process.
Those invited to these sex-positive parties often share a positive experience and bond with others in that tiny community. Consent and safety are prioritised at most of the underground events.
It is unclear where the direction of sex-positive and kinky parties is headed in Russia. As of right now, it seems that the community will have to find ways to exist in secret spaces and quiet meetings.
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