‘Almost Naked’ Party in Moscow Angers Russian Conservatives

Tearful apologies, revoked sponsorships, canceled performances and two weeks in jail for wearing a sock on the genitals.

A widening crackdown on the participants in an erotic celebrity party in Moscow underscores an accelerating conservative shift in a country where hedonism has long been tolerated in return for the acceptance of shrinking political freedoms.

The scandal broke last week when a Russian TV presenter and blogger, Anastasia Ivleyeva, hosted some of the country’s show business personalities at a private party in the popular club Mutabor. Ms. Ivleyeva, who has 18 million Instagram followers, said the event was the premiere of her photography project, originally commissioned by the local branch of Playboy magazine.

She said the dress code was “almost naked,” and that guests were given the freedom to interpret that as they saw fit.