Russia’s mega-pop star’s criticism of President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has sparked outrage on social media and raised serious questions: The iconic singer’s disapproving Instagram post Will it mark a turning point in Russian public opinion?
At the risk of being branded a traitor, Alla Pugacheva used her famous voice over the weekend to question the Seven Months War, becoming the most prominent Russian celebrity to do so. The post described her homeland, which gave her the highest civilian honors, as an “outcast” and said Russian soldiers were dying for “fantastic goals.”
It is a watershed moment, puncturing the narrative the Kremlin has vigorously defended about the reasons and objectives of its February 24th invasion of neighboring Ukraine, undermining months of carefully crafted war propaganda. I was afraid to
The singer, who has been Russia’s most popular performer for decades, is also on the rise diplomatically as Putin militarily—that is, Ukrainian forces—are retaking strategic areas from Russian forces. She shared her thoughts in the face of pressure. war.
At 73, Pugacheva is as widely admired as she was when she burst onto the Russian pop scene nearly half a century ago. An older Russian who grew up listening to her music forms a central base for President Putin and remains mostly silent about the war.
The singer’s turning point came when Pugacheva’s husband, comedian and TV host Maxim Galkin, was accused of foreign affairs on Saturday by the Russian Ministry of Justice for allegedly conducting political activities on behalf of Ukraine and receiving funding from Ukraine. I have appointed an agent. Galkin had previously criticized war.
In a post on Instagram on Sunday, Pugacheva told her 3.5 million followers and others who saw her comments elsewhere about her husband, whom she called “a true incorruptible patriot.” In solidarity, he said he hoped to be added to the register of foreign agents of Russia. We want to end the deaths of these boys.
Russian celebrities, including politicians, singers, actors and writers, have spoken out against Russia’s aggression against Ukraine despite the Kremlin’s attempts to stifle dissent. By the way, it is the biggest name to do so.
Her Instagram post was a major mockery of the Kremlin and its predecessors, who called Pugacheva the People’s Artist of the USSR, awarded her the State Prize of the Russian Federation, and awarded her the Order of the Chevalier “for her merits to the Motherland.” . She was regularly featured on national television for generations of viewers, especially nostalgic fans.
The Kremlin’s chief spokesman declined to comment on Monday, but Meduza, a Russian-language news site based in Latvia that declared Russia to be a foreign agent, includes at least one official voice. Presented a summary of responses.
Deputy Speaker of the Russian Duma Pyotr Tolstoy said Pugacheva was “too out of touch with reality and today stands in solidarity with those who want Russia to be defeated.”
Tolstoy, a close ally of Putin, predicted that “she will no longer find favor among decent Russians.” He added, “She will win even without her singing.”
Valery Fadeev, chairman of the Russian president’s Human Rights Council, accused Pugacheva of disingenuously citing humanitarian concerns to justify her criticism of the conflict almost seven months ago. He predicted that popular artists like Mr.
“New faces will become our elite: soldiers, doctors, military correspondents and volunteers,” Fadeyev wrote.
Veteran Russian opposition activist Lev Schlossberg said the scale of the reaction showed that Ms Pugacheva’s comments had struck a nerve in Russian society.
“The response of sympathy and direct support shows which way public opinion will move,” Medusa quoted him.
Russian-language cookbook author Veronika Belotselkovskaya, a popular blogger living in France and also questioning the war, said that the singer’s criticism was not aimed at the masses, but was “written for power.” I think
“This is a public slap. … Everyone heard her. She speaks their language and destroys their story,” she said.
Pugacheva was even declared “the de facto leader of the anti-war segment of Russian society” by political analyst Stanislav Berkovsky, head of the Moscow-based think tank National Institute for Strategic Studies.
It is not clear what legal implications Pugacheva may face. Putin signed a bill on March 4 allowing him to serve up to 15 years in prison for posting false information about the military.
If the Russian government wishes to declare her a foreign agent, the singer must prominently include the label in her social media content and comply with other financial and bureaucratic requirements.
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