Anna Netrebko broke her silence and finally condemned the war in Ukraine, but the Metropolitan Opera still does not want to work with the Russian opera diva
'04.04.2022'
Nadezhda Verbitskaya
A month after the start of the war in Ukraine, opera singer Anna Netrebko denied any ties with the Russian president. She denounced the war at her Facebook page:
"I categorically condemn the war in Ukraine, my thoughts are with the victims of this war and their families. My position is clear. I am not a member of any political party and I am not an ally of any Russian leader. I acknowledge and regret that my past actions or statements may have been misinterpreted. In fact, I have only met President Putin a few times in my entire life. In particular, on the occasion of the presentation of awards in recognition of my art and at the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Otherwise, I have never received any financial support from the Russian government, I live in Austria and am its tax resident. I love my homeland, Russia, and I seek peace and unity only through my art. After the announced break, I will resume performances at the end of May, initially in Europe, ”said the artist.
Previously from collaboration with the singer refused major world opera, among which new york metropolitan opera. The reason for breaking the contracts was the artist's tacit support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Americans are not impressed
It is not yet clear how European opera houses reacted to Netrebko's change of heart, but the Metropolitan Opera in New York did not appreciate this "scuffling".
“We have read Anna's publication, but are not yet ready to change our position,” Metropolitan Opera director Peter Gelb told DPA. “If Anna demonstrates in the long term that she has completely distanced herself from Putin, I will be ready to talk.”
But in Russia they were offended
The reaction of the Russian side to Netrebko's statement was immediate. The head of the Roscosmos corporation, Dmitry Rogozin, quickly withdrew the singer's invitation to visit the cosmodrome in the Amur Region, reports REGNUM.
In his message on Telegram, Rogozin also noted that “God gives some great artists a voice, mind and honor, and someone just a voice.”
Earlier it was planned to coincide with Netrebko's arrival at the Vostochny Cosmodrome for the launch of the Luna-25 space research station, which will take place in the summer of 2022.
