In a candid interview with the Germany’sDeutsche Welle last week, the Russian art historian Ekaterina Degot stated that freedom in Russia’s cultural sector is quickly diminishing. “A month ago, or even one week ago, I wouldn’t have told you what I’ll say to you now,” she said. “Independent-minded people urgently need support. What we’re experiencing at the moment can be compared to the Iranian Revolution — there we saw a catastrophic fundamentalism and clericalization of knowledge as well as culture.”