One of Russia's most popular artists, Alla Pugacheva, has taken to social media to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

On Instagram she shared her statement in Russian, which translates to "I ask you to enrol me in the ranks of foreign agents of my beloved country, because I am in solidarity with my husband, an honest, decent and sincere person, a true and incorruptible patriot of Russia, who wishes the Motherland prosperity, peaceful life, freedom of speech and an end to the death of our children for illusionary goals that make our country a pariah and the lives of our citizens extremely difficult."

 

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A post shared by ALLA PUGACHEVA (@alla_orfey)

Pugacheva announced her solidarity with her husband, Russian comedian and singer Maxim Galkin, who has repeatedly spoken out in opposition to the conflict. Galkin was added to the foreign agents list on September 16th. This is a title that comes with extreme negative symbolism, and financial and bureaucratic consequences. As a result of his condemnation of the Ukraine invasion, Galkin has been dropped from numerous advertising contracts and lost his prime-time TV show.

This is Pugacheva's first political statement throughout her decades-long career. She is a cultural icon who represents a lot to the Russian people, and her statement seems to carry a lot of weight. Max Seddon, Moscow's Bureau Chief at the Financial Times took to Twitter calling Pugacheva "a universally loved figure" and saying her post "puts the Kremlin in a tight spot."

This puts the Kremlin in a tight spot. Leave this unanswered and you risk letting public criticism spiral.

But Alla Pugacheva is something like a cross between Oprah and the Pope in Russia – a pretty much universally loved figure

— max seddon (@maxseddon) September 18, 2022