In three Siberian cities – Novosibirsk, Barnaul and Kemerovo – the spring concerts of singer Valerii Meladze have been cancelled. The organizers of the concerts in Barnaul told state-run RIA Novosti that Meladze is a “banned artist”. It is not specified by whom and why Meladze was banned.
The concerts in Siberia were to take place at the end of April. Now the sale of tickets for them has been stopped.
Valerii Meladze’s problems began after his New Year’s performance in Dubai. Then someone from the audience shouted out of the hall: “Glory to Ukraine!”. Meladze took the microphone aside and answered: “Glory to the heroes”. The recording of this moment was spread all over social networks. On the microphone he asked the audience to be out of politics.
Meladze clarified on his Instagram that he is against any wars. He wrote that he is not trying to please anyone and has been living “with a sense of gravity and grief” for ten months, because his “beloved peoples are in a conflict in which people are dying.”
On the day the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, February 24, 2022, Valerii Meladze recorded a video message calling for an end to hostilities and to sit down at the negotiating table. “People should be able to negotiate, for this we are given a language, for this we are given all the abilities. People should not die. It has to stop,” Meladze said.
Earlier, Just Russia – For Truth faction leader Sergei Mironov called for Meladze to be stripped of all ranks in Russia: “He is sitting on two chairs, trying to ‘snatch’ from all sides. It’s time to make up his mind. Although, judging by his behavior, this “artist” has chosen his side”.The head of the Historical Heritage Foundation Alexander Karabanov suggested that Meladze be recognized as a foreign agent.
Senator Yelena Afanasyeva called the singer’s act a beastliness, ugliness and betrayal. “For such a thing Meladze should not be deprived of his ranks, but of citizenship of the Russian Federation”, – said Afanasyeva.
Valerii Meladze is an Honored Artist of Russia and People’s Artist of the Chechen Republic. In 2005, he also received the title “Honored Artist of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea” – in connection with the Independence Day of Ukraine. His brother, composer Konstantin Meladze, is an Honored Artist of Ukraine.
