The Ukrainian community is being urged to sign a petition against the performance of Russian singer Anna Netrebko at the Zurich Opera House.
This was reported on Facebook by the Embassy of Ukraine in Switzerland.
According to the announcement, the petition was initiated by the organization Free Ukraine Global.
“The Ukrainian community in Switzerland fully understands the threat posed by Anna Netrebko’s performances and is joining forces to prevent them. The Embassy of Ukraine in Switzerland supports the initiative of Free Ukraine Global regarding the petition against Anna Netrebko’s performance in Zurich. This is an important expression of solidarity with Ukraine and a condemnation of Russian aggression,” the post reads.
The diplomatic mission emphasized that the single voice raised against the war must be louder than those who justify it.
“We call on all concerned individuals to support the initiative of the Ukrainian community and help spread the petition further,” the embassy added.
The petition notes that Netrebko’s performances in Zurich are scheduled for November.
“When artists who have publicly supported the aggressor are given the opportunity to perform on the stages of prominent international institutions, it is perceived as legitimization and justification of crimes… Providing a stage to such famous but politically compromised artists like Anna Netrebko effectively legitimizes their public positions, which directly contradict the values of freedom and democracy. This creates a serious risk that prestigious Swiss cultural institutions will be associated with loyalty to individuals who supported Vladimir Putin and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine,” the petition states.
The well-known Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko (soprano) has actively supported Putin’s war since the attack on eastern Ukraine in 2014. She was a trusted person of Putin during the 2012 presidential elections. Netrebko visited Donetsk, supported the terrorist group DNR, and posed in clothing with the inscription “To Berlin.” In 2014, she met with one of the separatist leaders, Oleg Tsaryov, who called himself “head of the Novorossiya parliament.”
After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, several theaters severed ties with Netrebko, but she has gradually returned to the opera stage.
