A concert by the Russian opera singer Netrebko was canceled in Prague

The announcement of a concert by a Russian singer who spoke out in support of Vladimir Putin before Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine sparked outrage among pro-Ukraine activists. The mayor’s office of Prague, which discussed the issue with the Ukrainian embassy in the Czech Republic, also spoke in favor of canceling the concert. The mayor’s office could not cancel the concert by its own decision, but issued a recommendation not to hold it.

The organizers stated that they were against canceling the concert, but reached an agreement with Netrebko, who, according to them, “understands that the situation has gotten out of control, and political pressure has arisen.” It is confirmed that Netrebko will not demand compensation for the cancellation of the performance, and those who bought tickets (it is confirmed that more than 80% of seats were sold) will be reimbursed for their cost.

It was previously reported that in the 2023-2024 theater season, Anna Netrebko plans to perform on the stage of the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires in August, and then in the opera houses of Berlin, Vienna, Milan and Paris.

• People’s Artist of Russia, opera singer Anna Netrebko is one of the most sought-after sopranos in the world. She lives in Vienna, where she is the leading soloist of the Vienna Opera. In Russia, in 2012, Netrebko was registered as a proxy of Vladimir Putin in his election campaign.
• After the beginning of Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, relations with Anna Netrebko broke up with the Metropolitan Opera. The theater’s statement said that they will not be restored until Russia ends the war and compensates Ukraine for the damage caused. Netrebko herself said that she condemns the war, but remains a patriot of Russia and its culture.
• Netrebko’s speeches in Western countries are often accompanied by street protests by activists supporting Ukraine.