It seems that Alexei Navalny's challenges in prison are neverending. After complaining about poisonings, attacks and lack of medical care, the Russian opponent now claims he is forced to listen to the proPutin singer “Shaman” at 5 a.m. every day. The revelation took place this Monday.
Who is Navalny?
Former lawyer Alexei Navalny rose to fame for satirizing Russia's political elite and leveling corruption allegations against President Vladimir Putin's government. Navalny, currently 47, is being held around 60 km north of the Arctic Circle. He was sentenced to prison after claiming the allegations were fabricated to keep him out of politics. Now the opponent says his morning routine includes listening to the Russian national anthem, followed by “I am Russian,” a patriotic song from “Shaman.”
The singer “Shaman”
“Shaman”, whose real name is Jaroslaw Dronow, rode on a wave of patriotism caused by the war. He managed to become a reference on state television and is among the celebrities who officially supported Putin's reelection in March. His most famous song “I am Russian” is about the resistance of the Russian people, which cannot be “broken”, “goes to the end” and carries the blood of his parents. The song is often performed with a shaman wearing a black leather costume and an armband in the colors of the Russian flag.
The 32yearold singer caused controversy in November when he simulated the launch of a nuclear bomb during a concert broadcast on state television. He pressed a red button that mimicked a nuclear suitcase as fireworks exploded around him.
Navalny's relationship with music
In a message moderated by allies, Navalny described the strange experience of having to listen to shaman music every morning. “Singer Shaman became famous after I was already in prison, so I couldn't see him or hear his music. But I knew that he had become Putin’s main singer,” Navalny wrote.
The irony, according to Navalny, is that state propaganda once emphasized that he accompanied Russian nationalists on annual marches, and now, years later, he listens to ultranationalist pop music for educational purposes while doing his morning exercises in prison.