No, she doesn’t use the word “war” in public, it’s a punishable offense in Russia. She also does not explicitly mention Ukraine in her post. Still, what the greatest Russian pop star of all time, Alla Pugacheva, released over the weekend hit Russia like a bomb.
Millions of Russians see it as a protest, albeit an indirect one, against what Russia calls a special military operation. Pugacheva is by far the best-known person who dares to voice this protest publicly.
The protest post on Alla Pugacheva’s Instagram account has a history. Last Friday her husband Maxim Galkin, a famous Russian comedian and until recently a TV personality, was declared a so-called foreign agent by the Russian Ministry of Justice.
Galkin has been living abroad for several months, having left Russia after earlier criticizing and being snubbed for the deployment of Russian troops in Ukraine and Russia’s rocket attacks on Ukrainian cities. Since then, the comedian has been touring abroad instead of Russia and donating the proceeds from his performances to Ukraine.
So Pugacheva’s post was a reaction to Maxim Galkin’s “agent” status. In a tart appeal, she asked the Ministry of Justice to include her in the ranks of foreign agents as well: “Because I stand in solidarity with my husband, an honest, decent and sincere person, a real and priceless patriot of Russia who wishes his homeland prosperity peaceful life, freedom of speech and an end to our boys dying for illusory causes that make our country a pariah and make life difficult for our citizens.”
From Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, 73-year-old Pugacheva commands respect. She has been a legend for millions of fans since the 1970s. And if there is such a thing as the soul of the people, it is above all Alla Borisovna Pugacheva with her biggest hit “A Million Red Roses”.
Pugacheva was Russia’s most famous singer internationally for decades. More than 250 million records and CDs with their hits were sold, hits that are still sung by young and old at many celebrations in Russia.
Pugacheva’s private life is also a constant topic in the Russian media, especially her current marriage to Maxim Galkin, who is 27 years her junior. Unlike Galkin, Pugacheva made no political statements after February 24, in what many took to be eloquent silence and a subtle protest against the Kremlin. So now this protest has become public and is causing mixed reactions.
“Bravo, Alla Borisovna!”, “Respect for Alla”, “Alla Pugacheva’s best performance in many years”, write some of the 3.5 million Instagram followers. Others, on the other hand, attacked the pop diva for not explicitly criticizing the war, but only wanting to protect her husband. Third, in turn, insult the singer as a traitor to her homeland. Many Russian politicians, artists and other celebrities also reacted to Pugacheva’s words.
Political scientist Abbas Galyamov writes in his Telegram channel about a “strong slap in the face” that Pugacheva would have given the Kremlin with her words. Their politicization could evoke a feeling of “that’s really enough” among Russians. Political analyst Stanislav Belkovsky goes even further in his Telegram channel: “Alla Pugacheva becomes the de facto leader of the anti-war section of Russian society.”
Peter Tolstoy, deputy Duma chairman, on the other hand, accuses the singer of losing touch with reality: “I regret that Pugacheva, the country’s formerly most popular singer, has lost touch with reality so much and is showing solidarity with those who today want Russia’s defeat.”
So far, the Kremlin has remained tight-lipped. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov does not consider Pugacheva’s words “a topic that has any connection to the Kremlin.”
Author: Juri Rescheto
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The original of this article “Russia’s superstar Alla Pugacheva criticizes the war in Ukraine” comes from Deutsche Welle.
