Russia’s Pop Idol Condemns Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine War

The wave of Russian celebrities condemning Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has just increased by one. Alla Pugacheva, a singer much beloved by fellow Russians, has joined the ranks of numerous other famous co-patriots who are now standing up against the war in Ukraine. In an Instagram post, Pugacheva even went as far as to dare the President to label her a traitor to her country.

“Please include me in the ranks of foreign agents of my beloved country,” Pugacheva wrote on Sunday, “since I am in solidarity with my husband,” Maxim Galkin,  “a true and incorruptible patriot of Russia who wants his homeland to flourish in peace with freedom of speech, and wants an end to our boys dying for illusory goals, which has turned our country into a pariah state and made life a burden for our citizens.”

Pugacheva and Galkin Fight for Freedom

Although Putin stands firm in his position on the war, both Pugacheva and Galkin fled their homeland after the war began, and they did so as a statement to their President. Galkin, a former singer, comedian, and TV presenter in Russia, has now officially been classified as a foreign agent.

Pugacheva sees this as a badge of honor, however. Indeed, it is one that places her husband in the same ranks as others, such as Russian band DDT’s frontman Yuri Shevchuk and musician Andrei Makarevich to name but a few.

Galkin himself has criticized the war as well as the war crimes being committed by Russian troops. It is a strong political statement at a time when many Russian oligarchs and others with too much to lose stay quiet out of fear of reprisal for speaking out against their country’s leader.

Alla Pugacheva, as well as her husband, are, however, well-known and legendary enough to find great support for their actions even if not spoken aloud.

According to the United Nations Human Rights Council, 5,587 civilians have died since the start of the Ukraine War on February 24, 2022. This includes 2,161 men, 1,490 women, 149 girls, and  175 boys, as well as 38 children and 1,574 adults whose sex is yet unknown. The total number of injured is now 7,890 people. Most were apparently caused by the use of explosive weapons in civilian areas comprised of shelling from heavy artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, missiles, and air strikes.

The World Stands with Pugacheva and Ukraine

Like Alla Pugacheva and her husband Maxim Galkin, the world still stands with Ukraine despite the economic crisis in which the war has resulted due to sanctions against Russia. To protect Ukrainian youth, the World Bank, for example, is currently providing support for the recovery and reconstruction of education in the country.