The Speaker of the Russian Parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, harshly criticized the Austro-Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko. “The voice is there, but there is no conscience,” he wrote on Telegram on Friday afternoon. Since Netrebko announced on Wednesday that she had condemned the “war on Ukraine”, she has fallen out of favor in her native Russia. The performances in Novosibirsk had already been canceled on Thursday for political reasons.
In contrast to artists who support Russian soldiers, there are also artists who have fled to other countries and are now waiting in hot regions, explained Volodin. But even worse are those who spread accusations from abroad, some in search of money, others to maintain prestigious stages.
“That worries about this Anna Netrebko,” he wrote. This could not be described as anything other than betrayal, the desire for enrichment was stronger here than the love of home, he explained. “But did that love exist?” Volodin asked. At the same time, the Kremlin party politician “United Russia” demanded that all those who had betrayed the people leave leadership positions in the cultural, educational and health institutions of the state.