Russian Oligarchs Take a Page Out of Disney’s Playbook to Influence Hearts and Minds

in Disney, Theme Parks

A large crowd gathers in front of a colorful "Gagauzia Land" archway at an outdoor event. Vibrant colored smoke (red, blue, and green) rises amidst the crowd. The area features green spaces, pathways, and various structures in the background.

Credit: GagauziaLand Theme Park

Every time The Walt Disney Company opens a new theme park outside of the United States, the intention is twofold: first and foremost, the goal is to make money. However, the second goal is to spread Western ideals across the world. It’s the prototypical “Hearts and Minds” campaign led by Mickey Mouse.

Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Goofy are dressed in red, white, and blue colonial costumes, standing in front of a building with a sign that reads "The American Adventure." They are in a cheerful pose under a clear sky.
Credit: Disney

However, leaders worldwide began to study Disney’s methods and have started to access those ideas to influence people. It is an instant makeover without the burden of having to change.

If there is any country in desperate need of a makeover, it’s the Russian Federation. The disastrous Russian invasion of Ukraine has put international pressure and sanctions on the nation and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

However, Putin isn’t looking to use theme parks to make friends and influence people; he’s using them to spread Russian propaganda to neighboring countries and influence the people there.

Just this week, Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, who coordinates pro-Russian actions from Moscow through his political vehicles and subordinates, opened a Russian propaganda theme park in a disputed area in neighboring Moldova.

The amusement park, GagauziyaLand, is in the disputed Gagauzia, a section of Moldova that borders Russia. Putin and his government have targeted the area for takeover in a similar vein to what Putin did with Ukraine and Crimea.

Moldova began negotiations with the European Union to join the alliance with Europe. When those negotiations started with the West, Putin and his regional allies began to stir unrest among the citizens.

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GagauziyaLand

♬ оригинальный звук – Григорий

Shor’s motives aren’t entirely altruistic. In 2014, just as the Moldovian Republic was starting, he masterminded a scheme to steal $1 billion from the country’s banking system. He was found guilty of bank fraud and money laundering and sentenced to house arrest.

He fled to Israel, the nation of his birth, and has been working with Moscow to undermine the stability of the country and its citizens. Last year, using his money and influence, he helped get Evghenia Gutul elected governor of the region.

The ultimate goal is to create unrest in the area and eventually create an autonomous region that will join with the Russian Federation. It is the unstated goal of Russian President Vladimir Putin to return Russia to its glory days in the USSR.

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the nation on a live TV broadcast in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. President Zelenskyy has told the nation that Ukraine is "not afraid of anyone or anything." He spoke during a chaotic day in which Russia appeared to be moving closer to an invasion, with President Vladimir Putin recognizing separatist regions of eastern Ukraine and then ordering forces there.
Credit: ABC via Ukrainian Presidential Press

During the opening of the new theme park, Gutul quickly praised Shor for his efforts and undermined the Moldovian government, which he said was against the park’s creation from the beginning.

The park is accessible to all region citizens, and reports claim that 50,000 people showed up on opening day. However, the park lacks the technology most theme parks in the West have and is heavy on politics.

It’s unclear how much a new theme park will influence people in the region, but the attack on hearts and minds has just started.

How do you feel about Russian Oligarchs getting into the theme park business? 

in Disney, Theme Parks

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