Pride forever: Russia’s LGBTQ+ youth come together in O-zine’s moving tribute to the future

Russian LGBTQ+ collective and magazine O-zine have released a short film, titled Otkrytykh, (“The Open”), celebrating Pride Month and the country’s queer youth.

“Thank you for being real” — these lyrics come from the clip’s heartwarming pop ballad, sung over tender shots of Russian people kissing, smiling, hugging. As the piano fades, the video closes with the words “Pride Forever” over Moscow’s night cityscape.

“This video is about tenderness, care, and human warmth,” O-zine wrote on Instagram. “[The film is] about the world of the future, comfortable, safe, and supportive. About the world in which we want to live and in which we believe.”

Established in 2018, O-zine has since fought to give a voice and create a safe space to Russia’s queer youth in the face of the government’s homophobic laws and neo-conservative agenda.