Very popular in France, Mireille Mathieu is fortunate to also have fans all over the world. In Russia, for example, the 76-year-old singer is so popular that even President Vladimir Putin is a fan. The Russian president has also been very good friends with the singer for several years.
Every year in August, Mireille Mathieu takes part in the Spasskaya festival which takes place in Moscow’s Red Square. In an interview with Nice Matin, published this Thursday, August 18, 2022, the artist revealed whether or not she intends to go there this year: “Given the current context (the war in Ukraine which broke out in February , Editor’s note), you can imagine that it is complicated to perform there…” she declared before adding: “I call for diplomacy and a meeting between President Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart. The word ‘war’ should be banned from the dictionary.
Like Gérard Depardieu, Mireille Mathie maintains a friendly relationship with Vladimir Poutine: “It’s personal… My relationship with him is different from that of the simple head of state, since he welcomed me personally several times when I sang there” confides the singer before making an important nuance: “I really like the Russian and Ukrainian people.”
Familiar with Russia, the singer who has never had children then tries to provide an explanation of the mentality of the Russian people: “Russia is a big country. […] It is a people who remain dear to my heart. Of course, he walks 100% behind his president. It’s typically Russian. If you don’t know the country well, you can’t understand that.”
Aliénor de la Fontaine