The Kremlin on Wednesday deemed unimportant the departure abroad of a series of Russian artists and celebrities since the start of the military operation in Ukraine, assuring that Russia retained many talents.
The Kremlin on Wednesday deemed unimportant the departure abroad of a series of Russian artists and celebrities since the start of the military operation in Ukraine, assuring that Russia retained many talents. “It’s not the most important thing. You agree that it’s not the departure of a star that will change things,” said Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for the Russian presidency, during the meeting. a press briefing.
“Russia is rich in talent”
“No need to unnecessarily dramatize the departure of one or a few stars,” he continued. “Russia is rich in talent.” Since the start of the offensive in Ukraine on February 24, many Russian show business personalities are suspected of having left the country.
Some have confirmed and claim that it is temporary, unrelated to the conflict. On March 2, influencer Ksenia Sobchak, daughter of a former mayor of St. Petersburg who was Vladimir Putin’s mentor, claimed on Telegram that she was on vacation abroad. On social networks, she does not hide her opposition to the conflict.
Others, less numerous, openly say that they left Russia because of the military operation. The young director Kantemir Balagov, very noticed in Cannes, said he chose to leave. “In an instant, we were robbed of our future,” he wrote in a post on March 6 on Instagram, then deleted.
Fear of reprisals
A famous actress (Good Bye, Lenin!) and who runs a major foundation helping sick children, Tchoulpan Khamatova, said in an interview on Youtube on March 20 that she was afraid to return to Russia, referring to possible reprisals after signing a petition against the conflict.
“I hardly exist anymore as a Russian artist, nor as a citizen. I no longer plan to pay taxes in Russia, I left and I will not return”, declared for his part, the 12 march, on Instagram, one of the most famous rappers in the country, FACE. Conversely, artists have sided with the Kremlin. On March 18, several renowned singers performed at Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, in a patriotic mega-concert celebrating the annexation of Crimea and the Russian armed forces.
