<
https://theconversation.com/why-its-such-a-big-deal-that-alla-pugacheva-the-tsarina-of-russian-pop-came-out-against-the-war-in-ukraine-191110>
"Days before Russian President Vladimir Putin announced hasty referendums in
the occupied regions of Ukraine and the conscription of Russian men, Russian
singer Alla Pugacheva posted a message decrying the war on Instagram, where she
commands 3.5 million followers.
As someone who has followed Pugacheva’s artistic career and written about her
on- and off-stage personas, I knew this was no ordinary anti-war statement.
Despite the fact that Pugacheva is not well known outside of Russia, she is one
of the top-selling music artists in the world and is arguably the most famous
woman in Russia. In opinion polls over the past two decades, she’s routinely
selected as one of the most popular Russians – sometimes appearing second only
to Putin.
Her fan base encompasses all elements of Russian society, including millions of
everyday Russians who, because they rely on Russian state media for
information, are particularly susceptible to the Kremlin’s powerful propaganda
machine.
In some ways, Pugacheva is a bridge to the past. Belonging to the same
generation as Putin, she represents the stability and predictability of the
Soviet era. Yet this isn’t the first time she’s leveraged her fame to challenge
the political status quo."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
