Kyiv, August 03, 2024, The Europe Today: The Ukrainian government has urged Western nations to prohibit soprano Anna Netrebko from performing outside of Russia, escalating cultural and political tensions amid the ongoing conflict with Moscow.
The call to action came after the Rome Opera announced that Netrebko would headline their production of “Tosca” on January 14, coinciding with the 125th anniversary of Giacomo Puccini’s opera premiering at the Costanzi Theatre.
“Now it is very important that Russian figures do not have the opportunity to earn money in the civilized world and continue to bring Russian culture to Europe and the West,” said Andrey Yermak, chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelensky, on Friday.
Yermak described Netrebko as a “servant of the regime” in Moscow, citing her endorsement of President Vladimir Putin in the 2012 election and her visit to Donbass in 2014.
“Netrebko should not perform in Europe. The only place for her and others like her now is the opera in Moscow. I call on all concerned and our allies to react,” he added.
This initiative follows Ukrainian forces losing ground along the frontline and comes shortly after Zelensky announced the suspension of all foreign debt payments.
Yermak, formally the head of the presidential administration, has been rumored to be the “gray eminence” actually running Ukraine. According to some Ukrainians, he wields more influence in Kyiv than any elected official, as reported by The Times in June.
Despite residing in Austria since 2006 and insisting she is not political, Netrebko has faced numerous cancellations in the West. Companies and theaters in the US, Estonia, the Czech Republic, and even Taiwan have severed contracts over her refusal to denounce Russia, condemn Putin, or support Kyiv in the conflict with Moscow. Last year, Netrebko sued the New York Metropolitan Opera company for $360,000, alleging breach of contract, defamation, and other offenses.
Ukrainian artists boycotted last year’s International May Festival in Germany due to Netrebko’s scheduled performance. More recently, the Swiss city of Lucerne canceled her June 1 performance, citing an upcoming Ukraine peace conference set for two weeks later.
Kiev has also sought to cancel other Russian artists. In March, the Ukrainian government pressured South Korea to uninvite Svetlana Zakharova, a renowned ballerina from Russia’s Bolshoi Theater, who was set to perform at the Seoul Arts Center in a show developed in collaboration with the French fashion house Chanel in 2019.
