The long-awaited millennium brought not only new freedoms to society but also greatly liberated it, allowing the exploration of previously taboo social spaces. Stepping into these spaces, one could not help but be surprised, amazed, and ultimately accept this new reality. The rapidly developing cyber era, progress, and collaboration at various levels enabled people to look far beyond their own wallets and finally demand the long-promised spectacles they had been deprived of in the scarce '80s and turbulent '90s. Forget bubble gum: the cultural life of the country transformed instantly, and all sorts of formerly forbidden fruits (among other things) could finally emerge from the shadows of endless exile and take their rightful place. The second wave of freedom (the first washed away the red flags and slogans in 1993) that swept across the country firmly established a new order: a sexual revolution was underway, condoms were available to every proletarian citizen in unlimited quantities, and love was given the green light—love whoever you want, whenever you want (as long as it’s mutual and within the law). Nightclubs and themed venues opened in unimaginable numbers—not only in the two Russian capitals—ushering in a new era free from prejudice, creative, and capable of creating the new. The groundwork laid by the creative elite of the new Russia in the '90s, while dodging bullets in gangster shootouts, bore its first fruits, and thousands of young people flooded into Moscow and St. Petersburg, seeking self-realization and, let’s be honest, to monetize their ideas. Indeed, the 2000s were truly a golden era.

Among other things, the country got its own freaks, provocateurs, and style icons of the new century, radically transforming its subcultural landscape. One of these phenomena was travesty. It’s amusing now, nearly twenty years later, to recall how society wrestled with the absurd blend of cross-dressers, homosexuals, and travesties, venting its indignation under the moral label of abnormality. But let’s leave the past in the past.

Men and makeup. Transformation. Dance. Theater and film. Travesty artists who proved that "dressing up" is just a phase, and the core of this culture is a deeper reflection of socio-cultural processes that are inextricably linked to life itself. Performers who serve as mirrors, containing elements of both men and women. Modern-day rebuses, androgynous artists, demonstrating art’s true purpose: to make us look, accept, and comprehend what’s happening. Of course, Russia has always struggled to accept the new (and now rejects it with maximum intolerance toward things entirely innocent and artistic), but since the beginning of the 21st century, we’ve witnessed a spectacular show. But let’s take it step by step.

The history of travesty might seem familiar to everyone, but this world of disguises and bold makeup has deep historical roots. A brief excursion into the world of unreal, yet very beautiful women.

Travesty is a theatrical term describing women (and this is important) actresses who predominantly played male roles, transforming into men with all the attributes (clothes, mustaches, beards). This fact might surprise many, but you can’t rewrite history. Initially, the cultural phenomenon of travesty occupied an artistic niche, where opera singers comfortably performed male roles. Another important role travesty artists played was when it was impossible to involve a child in a play due to the complexity of the acting task; actors would then take on the burden of transforming into a child and performing the role. Admittedly, this is indeed a complex act, far removed from the notion of hairy male legs elegantly placed in women's stockings.

But any cultural phenomenon evolves, and the travesty genre did as well, especially during the decadent era. Back then, art was undergoing a transformation (not always for the better). Currently, this genre—female travesty—is in deep decline, and many cultural figures believe it is no longer in demand. Moreover, it’s now much easier to find child actors: the evolution of theater and cinema tends to "kill" genres and roles, removing them from the socio-cultural field (another example? Radio: once powerful and all-encompassing, it now lies on the deathbed of the media space, killed off by cinema, television, and the internet). Nonetheless, the female travesty genre was indeed popular, even in the USSR, where animation was always enthusiastically received, with characters often voiced by female actresses. Or in children's films, where women often played children's roles and even sensitive male characters. The stars of their time—Yanina Zheymo, Alisa Freindlich, Nadezhda Rumyantseva, and even Liya Akhedzhakova—began their careers with travesty roles.

But what about the men we now see on the stages of nightclubs, dressed like runway queens and fashion show princesses? Yes, the roots of male travesty (those beautiful, slender, hairy legs in stockings) also grow from the theatrical environment. And this role is much older than female travesty. Just think of ancient Greece or old Japan: women were severely restricted in all spheres, including culture. Specifically, they were forbidden to attend theaters, so men played female roles (and quite well, too). Greek theater and Japanese Kabuki theater are, of course, high art, but very sexist (in Kabuki theater, practically all female roles are still performed by men). In the USSR, too (let’s leave the moth-eaten indignation for those with skeletons in their closets), we had our own bright travesty actors, even if they only played one—but what a role!—Oleg Tabakov in Mary Poppins, Goodbye! as the delightful Miss Andrew, Alexander Kalyagin immortalizing himself in the whimsical and delightful film play Hello, I'm Your Aunt!, and we can also recall Fyodor Stukov, who played a wild girl in the movie Kin. So let’s not slander or cast aspersions on this culture: it has existed, still exists, and hopefully will continue for a long time.

Today’s travesty artists prefer to be called "drag queens," who are often confused with cross-dressers or transgender people: the former represent a distinct subculture, while transgender people are not a cultural phenomenon, and it is fundamentally wrong to associate them with drag queen culture. Bright shows, special themed numbers, a sea of glitter, glamour to the nth degree, multiplied by stage pomp—that’s what drag queens are all about. It might seem like nightclubs and culture are worlds apart, but they have merged in a media ecstasy. The early 2010s brought us various new travesty phenomena (it’s worth mentioning the Russian (oh, how ironically I roll my eyes) film Jolly Fellows by Felix Mikhailov with a very strong cast, highly recommended for viewing). And we can’t forget Zaza Napoli, the "mother" of the modern travesty movement. A bit of terminology: the term "drag queen" doesn’t relate to the word "drag" as most researchers believe, but is an acronym for "dressed resembling a girl," used to describe men in women's clothing (cross-dresser), while the term "queen" doesn’t mean "queen" but "slut," referring to both women and gay men living promiscuously. This is how folk wisdom transformed into a cultural phenomenon of the 21st century. Folklore, indeed! The image of a drag queen (an established expression that doesn’t translate into other languages) can vary: queen of grotesque, queen of parody, queen of beauty, or queen of postmodernism. The divas entertain themselves as they please, delighting audiences with a variety of performances. By the way, another term often used by drag queens is "diva." Once you’ve seen such a show, you’ll never forget it. Everything is turned upside down—and that’s the principle of any drag queen performance.

To sum up, I can say that the culture of travesty, in all its forms, is wonderful. This world—a potent mix of seriousness and masculinity—needs to be diluted with something bright and spontaneous, helping us to distract from apocalyptic news, national barriers, endless media negativity, and the existential crisis of continents. So let it be these marvelous divas, dancing in stockings on hairy legs!