Pop singer dubbed as ‘Russia’s Dolly Parton’ slams Vladimir Putin over Ukraine invasion and demands to be on country’s ‘foreign agent’ list after Kremlin branded her talk show host husband as one for anti-war remarks
- Alla Pugacheva, one of the most famous women in Russia, spoke against Putin
- She said the Russian leader is pointlessly sending young men to die in Ukraine
- Pugacheva was called ‘as close to universally loved national royalty as it gets’
- Her husband has also spoken out against the Russian war with its neighbour
One of the most famous singers in Russia, popular since Soviet times, says she wants to be placed on the country’s foreign agents list in solidarity with her husband who has been designated as one.
The statement by Alla Pugacheva on Instagram is a notable slap from a prominent figure at Russian authorities, who have stifled dissent in the years leading up to the invasion of its neighbour.
The singer, one of the most famous singers in Russia, has said Vladimir Putin is pointlessly sending young men to die in Ukraine.
‘The death of our boys for illusory aims makes our country a pariah and weighs down on the lives of our citizens,’ said Pugacheva on Sunday.
Pugacheva quickly rose to become the Soviet Union’s most popular singer, with more than 100 records, CDs and DVDs in her discography — selling over 250million in total.
The Russian singer Alla Pugacheva has on September 18 denounced the conflict in Ukraine, calling out the regime for sending young men to their deaths ‘for illusory goals’
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Russian pop singer Alla Pugacheva pose for a photo during an awards ceremony in Moscow’s Kremlin in Moscow in 2014
The ‘foreign agent’ label would normally required the state to ban all content associated with the agent — but millions of Russians listen to Pugacheva’s songs and buy her records, placing the Kremlin in a difficult position.
Banning the singer’s popular music could turn thousands if not million of apolitical Russians against the war, but ignoring her request could embolden dissenters.
The label has its routes in the Soviet era, when it was employed against dissenters.
British comedian and journalist Viv Groskop has called Pugacehva the ‘Russian Dolly Parton’, underlining her stardom and grand reputation in the country.
Alla Pugacheva ‘is as close to universally loved national royalty as it gets’ in Russia, she said, according to The Daily Telegraph.
She represented Russia in the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest, coming 5th place, and has won The Order ‘For Merit to the Fatherland’ for her artistic contributions.
Ms Pugacheva’s husband, singer and TV presenter Maxim Galkin, who has criticised Russia sending troops into Ukraine, was added to the foreign agents register on Saturday by the justice ministry for allegedly conducting political activities on behalf of Ukraine and receiving Ukrainian funding.
She called Mr Galkin a ‘true and incorruptible patriot’ who wished for ‘the end of deaths of our guys for illusory goals’.
Both Pugacheva and her husband fled the country when the war broke out.
Russian law allows organisations and individuals deemed to be involved in political activity that receive funding from abroad to be declared foreign agents.
The term carries a strong sense of disapproval and implies additional government scrutiny.
Ms Pugacheva, 73, is noted for her emotional singing and colourful performances. She hit stardom in the 1970s and remains widely popular throughout the former Soviet Union.
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