No one will let me play concerts in Russia – Kommersant

Musician Boris Grebenshchikov (recognized by the Ministry of Justice as a foreign agent) said in an interview Forbesthat now no one will let him play concerts in Russia. According to him, he was directly told that he might have problems with the law if he returned to the Russian Federation.

“By some bizarre twist of fate, every policeman I meet on the street can show me something. And this may not be very positive for me. They told me this absolutely directly. And no one will let me play concerts. It’s more convenient for me to work not in prison, but in freedom,” said Mr. Grebenshchikov.

The musician said that in Russia there are many people for whom he sang and continues to sing, but he is separated from them “by the whim of the authorities.” “So I’m just holding out for now. But what I do, I convey by all means to those who live in Russia,” he noted.

In May 2022, in an interview with the Israeli channel Channel 9, he said that he had donated part of the money from his concerts in Berlin to Ukraine, and also once again spoke out against the Russian Federation’s decision to begin military operations in Ukraine. After this, the Moscow court admitted he was guilty of discrediting the Russian army and was fined 50 thousand rubles. In June of this year, the Ministry of Justice announced his foreign agent. Now Mr. Grebenshchikov lives in London with his wife.

Erdni Kagaltynov