Russian teens ‘into Asia’ dance to K-pop, watch anime as culture boom gains ‘momentum’

A few years ago, Karina Marakshina had to explain what K-pop was when asked to describe the musical style of her Moscow dance studio. Now she says she hears it blasting out from nearly every mall where she shops.

Russia shares a lengthy border with China and has long fostered cultural ties with East Asia. But as sanctions have made it harder to access Western cultural products such as films and music, younger Russians in particular are turning to countries like South Korea, Japan and China for entertainment.