Cleanse is the word that was chosen when Putin's statements were translated into English from Russian. I do not know what the Russian word was, nor do I know it's meaning. I only know what the article said, that it is a word typically reserved for military operations. So is Putin waging war on homosexuals?
Is he going to send the Spetsnaz into the bath houses? I don't know. I hope not.
My wife is Russian/Ukrainian
(she's from Crimea which, despite being part of Ukraine, was historically part of Russia. The Crimeans are linguistically, culturally and ethnically Russian, rather than Ukrainian).
She, her family and all her friends (the few dozen I know, anyway) are not in the least bit racist or homophobic
BUT THEY ALL SUPPORT PUTIN....???
I do not understand this contradiction but I do understand that Vladimir Putin is probably the most popular leader that the Russians have EVER had.
This rabid and anachronistic homophobia isn't Putin deciding the national mood
It's Putin FOLLOWING the national mood.
A mass return to Orthodox Church values (that had hibernated for 70 years)
and a belief in AUTOCRATIC 'STRONGMAN' Leaders
has led to PUTIN being the darling of Russia.
My wife often says that European style government through consent could never work in Russia
The Russians actually crave Gulags.