Andrei Danylko (Verke Serdyuchka) was banned from entering the UAE for life

Artist Andrey Danylko, acting under the pseudonym Verka Serdyuchka, confirmed that the authorities of the United Arab Emirates banned him from entering the country for life. In his opinion, the decision was made under pressure from Russia.

Earlier, a number of Ukrainian mass media wrote about the ban, referring to unnamed sources. They claimed that the authorities of the UAE put Danylko on the “black list” after he spoke in support of Ukraine at a concert in Dubai in 2022, and the reason for the ban was allegedly called “inciting inter-ethnic discord”.

According to Danylko himself, the reason for the ban was not specified in any document to which he had access. He believes that the decision to ban him from entering the UAE was made under pressure or at the request of Russia.

“You need to understand that this is not done at the will of the Emirates authorities – it is done at the behest of the Russian elite. This is absolutely a personal revenge. Why does Serdyuchka make them so angry? Because she makes fun of them. They are annoyed that we gather full halls and publicly we’re laughing. Meanwhile, Serdyuchka’s songs are still heard at New Year’s parties all over Russia. And they can’t do anything about it, that’s why they rage and resort to such petty revenge,” Danylko said.

• Ukrainian singer, composer and comedian Andrey Danylko gained wide popularity in the stage image of Verka Serdyuchka, a simple, cheerful woman. His songs in the 2000s and 2010s gained wide popularity both in Ukraine and in Russia. People’s Artist of Ukraine.
• After the start of Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, Danylko unofficially became persona non grata in Russia. Discotheques where Serdyuchka’s songs were performed are canceled, DJs and entertainers are fined for them, and clubs where they were performed are subject to police inspections.