Adjara is experiencing a starfall. Russian pop stars are flocking to Georgia’s Black Sea resort, and not just any stars, but the most “Z-aligned” of them all. A significant part of Georgian society is not pleased with this state of affairs. We look into why.
“How awful,” “Why don’t you roll out the red carpet for them too,” “We are a nation with no self-respect,” “Soon you’ll all clear out of my country.” These are some of the mildest comments left by Georgian internet users under a video from a restaurant on the Black Sea coast, where the song “Matushka Zemlya” [Mother Earth] was playing for tourists.
What some on SOVA’s social media channels dubbed “triggering” content—claiming it is not cool to publish such things—is indeed triggering, BUT for the citizens of a country that has suffered Russian aggression and is living under occupation. And some will once again advise against mixing culture with politics, but what can you do when they have already mixed everything for us long ago.
Take, for instance, Tatyana Kurtukova, who sings about her “holy Russia” being “a thorn in the side of others.” She has become one of the main symbols of the current wave of ultra-patriotism on the Russian pop scene. The singer actively supports the Kremlin’s policies and regularly performs at rally-concerts on Red Square, for participants of the SVO [Special Military Operation], and at festive events celebrating the annexation of new territories. While Georgia is not yet on Kurtukova’s official tour schedule, her colleagues from the Z-camp are already exploring this destination.
On June 27, the chanson group “Vorovaiki” performed at the Teatro club in Batumi, while Georgian activists held a protest outside. According to their tour schedule, “Vorovaiki” will head to annexed Crimea in August. In the past, the group has sung in Luhansk, performed for SVO participants, and received letters of appreciation from Putin. In 2019, Ukraine banned “Vorovaiki” from entering the country. In addition to a hit song with the offensive title “Khokhly” [a derogatory Russian term for Ukrainians], their repertoire includes another “gem”—the song “Thank You, Russian Soldier.”
Meanwhile, on August 1, the recently reunited group “t.A.T.u.” will attempt to perform in Batumi; their January concert in Tbilisi was canceled due to public backlash. Both singers openly support Russia’s war in Ukraine. Yulia Volkova even participated in the primaries of “Yedinaya Rossiya” [United Russia] and sang at the opening of the Kerch Bridge, while Lena Katina has performed in the occupied territories of Donbas. Both are listed on the Myrotvorets database.
The same goes for the Kyiv-born queen of Russian chanson, Lyubov Uspenskaya, who calls Putin “a great man of a great country.” She is expected in Batumi in the autumn. Uspenskaya’s track record includes both supporting Russian aggression in Ukraine and performing in the occupied territories.
And if, after hearing all this, anyone still finds the Georgian public’s protest against pro-Putin artists inappropriate, I can only offer one piece of advice: if you have decided to live in Georgia, respect its history.