Is Putin Reshaping The Russian Brand?

Sign outside Lithuanian airport positioned for passengers to see flying in and out

Tchaikovsky. Chekhov. Dostoevsky. Rudolph Nureyev. These have been the cultural faces of Russia for decades. But since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the soft culture of Russia has been recast by the hard face of Putin.

“If Russia is considered a brand or trademark, then Putin has done enormous damage to the goodwill of the brand,” says trademark attorney Gene Winter of St. Onge…