A list of artists banned in Russia has been published. The pro-Kremlin media do not play their music

The Russian Media Group (RMG) owns at least seven different radio stations, and the flagship Russkoe Radio is the country’s most popular radio station. In addition, the package also includes the RU TV music channel and the Grammofon advertising agency. He reports that after the war in Ukraine began, the company’s management issued a statement in which he explained that the music of certain artists would no longer be played, because those “spoke very sharply about Russia in the context of the difficult situation between Russia and Ukraine “.

A list of artists banned in Russia has come out

it is also supposed to emphasize in the magazine that respect for the audience is the most important, and that “the arrogant and contemptuous approach of musicians to Russian listeners” allows for nothing other than breaking contracts with artists who have criticized the war.

The list will include, among others the cult Russian band Akwarium, singer Valeri Meladze, group # 2Mashi, as well as Ukrainian artists such as singer Iwan Dorn, Maks Barskich, Potap & Nastya, MONATIK, DOROFEEVA, LOBODA, ALEKSEEV and Viera Brieżniewa.

The leader of the Akwarium group, Boris Griebenschikov, remains unmoved by these reports. He himself called the war in Ukraine madness and has been struggling with political pressure for a long time. BBC said:

I’ve spent half my life on various blacklists. There were bans in the 1970s, there were bans in the 1980s. This is not unusual. Then the same people who ban your music will give you awards.

In turn, Ivan Dorn published a narrative on Instagram on the first day of the war, in which he called on the Russians to “end this catastrophe” and “not to take part in this bloody war”. Soon after, he was on the list of artists excluded by the Russian Media Group, as well as on another blacklist that was leaked to the media. This one was to contain the names of artists who should be banned from touring in Russia and was to circulate between music clubs and organizers of large events.

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Ivan Dorn told the BBC that he didn’t care whether he was on Russia’s blacklists.

Any cooperation with Russia was impossible even before these lists were published. Does anyone in these Russian institutions really think that we want to work with aggressors who want to destroy our nation, murder thousands of innocent people, build a totalitarian regime and arrest our own people for contestation?

In the case of the concert blacklist, the BBC couldn’t tell who made it or whether it was genuine. Nevertheless, people from the Russian music industry admit that such magazines are nothing new to them. Elena Saveleva, manager of rapper Noize MC, who is on the list, comments: “You never know who they come from, there are no names, phone numbers, e-mails or official stamps on them. They may look like fakes, it’s just a printed list with surnames. musicians, writers or comedians, “he told the BBC. He adds that the authorities put a lot of pressure on concert organizers, usually by the local police – officials can scare the closure of facilities and high fines.

On the other hand, the art director of Moscow’s oldest 16 Tons club believes the new roster is bogus. “I didn’t see her, nobody came to see me, and they usually come here first,” says Paweł Kamakin in an interview with the BBC.

Also on the list is Russian rapper Oxxxymiron, who canceled his concerts in Russia and instead organized a charity tour “Russians Against War” abroad to raise money for Ukrainian refugees. He raised $ 30,000 in concert in Istanbul and is due to perform in London this week.