Italy calls for cancellation of performance by Russian singer, a confidant of Putin

In Italy, there are calls to cancel the performance of Russian singer Ildar Abdrazakov, who is scheduled to perform the role of Don Giovanni at the Verona Theater in January 2026. This is reported by UNN with reference to DW.

Details

In January 2026, Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov is scheduled to perform the role of Don Giovanni in Mozart's opera of the same name on the stage of the Verona Theater.

As DW writes, before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Abdrazakov actively collaborated with Western theaters, but after the war began, his performances there stopped. In 2024, the singer became a confidant of Vladimir Putin, headed a theater in annexed Sevastopol, and joined the presidential council on culture.

At the end of October, the Italian association Liberi Oltre le Illusioni spoke out against Abdrazakov's arrival in Verona. The Vice-President of the European Parliament, Italian Pina Picerno, who actively opposed the arrival of conductor Valery Gergiev in Italy in the summer of 2025 - his concert was eventually canceled - joined the call for a boycott.

It is noted that on November 4, the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) also launched a campaign against Abdrazakov's performances in Italy.

"He doesn't have a name like Gergiev, so he tries to curry favor more - he works in the occupied territories and praises Putin. We believe that this is a serious reason for discussion - whether Verona should host a cultural figure from occupied Sevastopol," Leonid Volkov said in a comment to DW.

Recall

Romania canceled the performance of Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko, who supports Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported that the Embassy of Ukraine in Romania communicated with relevant institutions to prevent the performance.