Nordic Ukraine Forum secures cancellation of Russian singer’s performance in Sweden

The Nordic Ukraine Forum NGO successfully has secured the cancellation of a performance by Russian soprano opera singer Julia Lezhneva in Sweden. The event was scheduled for Oct. 11 at the Cultural Center in Ytterjärna, south of Stockholm, the organization reported.

“It is impossible to ignore the fact that Lezhneva has chosen to remain silent about Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine — an unprovoked aggression that has caused the deaths of thousands of innocent people, immense suffering, and widespread destruction,” the Nordic Ukraine Forum said.

Activists said that the singer’s silence, despite her privilege to perform freely in democratic societies, is a political choice.

In their appeal to the Cultural Center, the non-profit group said that Lezhneva “faces no pressure preventing her from taking a moral stance,” yet she chose public silence, which “speaks volumes in today’s context.”

“The international presence of apolitical or compliant Russian artists is used by the Russian state to project an image of cultural refinement, while diverting attention from war crimes, repression, and state violence,” the statement said.

Following the protest and advocacy by activists, the Cultural Center in Ytterjärna decided to cancel the concert.