Russia’s war is not just against Ukraine—it is a direct attack on the entire democratic world, including Germany. After more than a year and a half of full-scale invasion, the Russian Federation has intensified its disinformation campaigns, both within Ukraine and far beyond its borders. By distorting facts and manufacturing new manipulations, the Kremlin aims to gain a tactical advantage in the information space and, even if only briefly, shift global opinion in its favour. To achieve this, it infiltrates every possible sphere of influence, including sport, culture, academia, and historical discourse.

Russian culture is deeply intertwined with the Russian state’s military-totalitarian system. Today, as Europe faces its bloodiest war since the Second World War, the democratic world must not fall for Russia’s deceptive claim that culture is separate from politics. This war has made it clear that culture is yet another weapon in Russia’s arsenal of war crimes against Ukraine, and Russian cultural figures share responsibility for this.

When Russian troops occupied Ukrainian territory, they did more than commit atrocities against civilians. They burned Ukrainian books, rewrote history, altered school curricula, and actively hunted down Ukrainian cultural figures and activists. Many were brutally tortured and killed. At the same time, Russia deliberately destroyed Ukraine’s cultural heritage, erasing identities and rewriting the past to serve its own agenda.

We call on the Staatsoper Unter den Linden to refuse collaboration with the Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko. First and foremost, because Netrebko’s return to the stage and attempts to “whitewash” her position pose significant reputational risks for the Staatsoper Unter den Linden itself.

The Russian opera diva, widely promoted in the West, has long embodied the authoritarian regime and served as a mouthpiece for Putin’s propaganda. A few facts illustrate her profile:

• On 9 May 2010, Netrebko was seen wearing a T-shirt with the inscription “To Berlin!” and a black-and-orange Saint George ribbon, a symbol associated with Kremlin militarism. Earlier, in 2009, Putin awarded her the title of People’s Artist, Russia’s highest honour for performers. That same year, in an interview with a Russian state-run newspaper, Netrebko declared her unwavering support for Russia, criticized Western coverage of Russia’s actions in Georgia as “one-sided,” and stated she viewed any attacks on Russia negatively, always defending its position. Russia’s invasion of Georgia was merely a prelude to the current war against Ukraine. History does not favour the subjunctive mood. However, if the world had responded differently to Russia’s lawless actions at the time, the course of events might have changed. The open support Russia received from cultural and political elites only reinforced its impunity. Perhaps, had there been a stronger reaction, we would not now be facing the largest war in Europe since the Second World War.

• Anna Netrebko was one of three trusted figures personally supporting Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in the 2012 elections. Given this fact, she cannot be considered an artist who stands apart from politics.

• After Russia’s temporary occupation of Crimea and the beginning of its war in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, Netrebko continued to support Putin’s policies. In 2014, she made a charitable donation to the Donetsk Opera House while Donetsk was under the control of the so-called “DPR” and “LPR” terrorists. Shortly after, she was photographed with pro-Russian separatist leader Oleg Tsaryov, holding the flag of “Novorossiya” (Russia’s official term for annexed Ukrainian territories). This sparked a major international outcry that same year. Due to such an overt display of political allegiance, the opera singer even risked losing her Austrian citizenship.

• Her “uncertainty” regarding the war in Ukraine immediately after the full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022 cost Netrebko several high-profile contracts, including with the Metropolitan Opera. Mr Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera, stated in a video message: “We can no longer collaborate with artists or institutions that support or are supported by Putin.” He added that this policy would remain in place “until the invasion and killings are stopped, order is restored, and reparations are made.” Netrebko’s hypocritical “condemnation of the war” statements only appeared months after the full-scale invasion, when her concerts began to be cancelled worldwide. However, these statements do not negate the fact that she remains a symbol of the pseudo-great modern Russian culture that has done nothing to protect ordinary Ukrainian civilians from death at the hands of Russian troops.

On 7 January 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted a decision by the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine imposing personal sanctions against 119 public figures, including Russian artists such as Anna Netrebko. The corresponding decree was published on the official website of the Ukrainian government.

We firmly believe that artists must recognise their influence in society and take responsibility for their political stance.

We conclude that Anna Netrebko’s political reputation is deeply controversial and cannot be cleansed by a single, generic statement “against war.” In light of the above, we view the invitation of Ms Netrebko to perform as a deeply concerning signal in the current circumstances.