The war in Ukraine, waged by Russia for 9 days now, has claimed thousands of innocent victims and is now terrorizing the whole world. However, it also does collateral damage in all areas, economic, sporting or even artistic. That’s what just happened to Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, one of the best voices in the world.
At 50, and while she has been performing for the prestigious Metropolitan Opera for 20 years, the singer has been suspended for two seasons. She has indeed refused to disavow Vladimir Putin and his actions publicly, as she was asked to do. A completely understandable but severe reason, when we know that the families of famous Russians could be endangered.
She had nevertheless published a press release a few days ago, explaining that she is “against this war“.”I am Russian and I love my country but I have many friends in Ukraine and the pain they are suffering right now breaks my heart. I would like this war to end and people to be able to live in peace. That’s what I hope and I pray for it“.
A message that does not go far enough for the management of the famous ensemble. Peter Gelb, the manager of the company did not mince words in a press release, published shortly after. “Anna is one of the best singers in Met history but with Putin killing innocent victims, there’s no going back“.
Quite pessimistic about the sequel, he added that he is “difficult to imagine a scenario in which she will return to the Met“. Replaced by the Ukrainian Liudmyla Monastyrska, she pays dearly for her overly neutral position. A dilemma facing all Russians at the moment. While most tennis players have sent strong messages (including Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova), the athletes who were to participate in the Paralympic Games were excluded.
The same fate is reserved for Belarusians (whose country is led by a dictator and ally of Vladimir Putin), a situation which saddens, for example, tennis player Victoria Azarenka, who had sent a message of peace on her Instagram account. The cyclist Pavel Sivakov, who was already living in France, has meanwhile decided to permanently take French nationality.