“Vitsche Berlin” protests pro-Putin opera star Anna Netrebko

BERLIN — The Ukrainian community organization in Germany, “Vitsche Berlin” (public council of Berlin) staged a protest on May 15 outside the Berlin State Opera, condemning performances by Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko, who is widely criticized for her ties to the regime of Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin.

“Russian propaganda has no place on German stages!” the activists said, who had gathered while the opera house was staging Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovatore featuring Netrebko

More than a hundred demonstrators participated.

In a powerful act of symbolism, “Vitsche Berlin” brought to the protest a Ukrainian ambulance that had been shelled by Russian forces.

“This ambulance reveals the true face of the so-called ‘Russian cultural policy,’” the activists said.

The ambulance will remain outside the opera house during all of Anna Netrebko’s upcoming performances on May 18, 22, 25, and 28.

“It will serve as a visible reminder of the dangers of giving a platform to Russian propagandists. Everyone should see that the war is real and the crimes cannot be ignored,” “Vitsche Berlin” said.

Netrebko, a Russian citizen who also holds Austrian citizenship, is known for her support of Putin’s regime. In 2014, she posed with the flag of the so-called “Novorossiya” and expressed support for the militants in the “L/DPR.” 

Ukraine added her to its sanctions list in 2023.