Oxxxymiron, a popular rapper in Russia, has indefinitely canceled six sold out concerts in Moscow and St. Petersburg in protest of President Vladimir Putin’s invasion and assault on Ukraine, The New York Times reports. The rapper was one of several public figures in the country who called for an end to the war.
“I know that most people in Russia are against this war, and I am confident that the more people would talk about their real attitude to it, the faster we can stop this horror,” said Oxxxymiron in a statement (translated by the Times). “I cannot entertain you when Russian missiles are falling on Ukraine—when residents of Kyiv are forced to hide in basements and in the metro, while people are dying.”
Several other Russian musicians—including Kasta, Shym, Vladi, Khamil, Zmey, and Noize MC—voiced their opposition to the attack on Ukraine today. Oxxxymiron has been critical of Putin in the past and specifically called out the Russian government’s practice of labeling political opponents “foreign agents.” He’s showed up to court hearings to support activists and nonviolent political protesters.
In late 2021, it was reported that members of Pussy Riot were among those named “foreign agents.” They made multiple statements in protest of the invasion of Ukraine. “sanctions against Kremlin were not solid enough when Putin annexed Crimea in 2014,” the band tweeted. “so he jailed Navalny, turned lives of Pussy Riot and other Russian activists into hell, forced many of us to leave our home behind and run, and now he started a war in Europe. when is enough?”
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