April 04, 2023

Anything to Stop The Show


Anything to Stop The Show
Polina Osetinskaya in a concert. Polina Osetinskaya, Instagram.

Moscow police attempted to interrupt pianist Polina Osetinskaya's March 31 concert multiple times, even resorting saying they received a phone call about a "possible mine" to stop the show. Not coincidentally, Osetinskaya has publically condemned the war in Ukraine.

The pianist was set to perform at a Moscow venue when, shortly before the start of the performance, officers told her that her concert was forbidden by order of the Presnenesky police department. Osetinskaya performed anyway. Police initially left her alone after the public started entering the venue. 

During the intermission, police ordered the evacuation of the concert hall, claiming they received a call warning the building was mined. After half an hour, the police found nothing. DK Rassvet, the venue where Osetinskaya was performing, posted a video on Telegram with the caption: "The dogs examined everything and found nothing, [so] we are carrying on with the concert, come back, we will listen to Weinberg [pieces]." In the video, spectators clapped as officers exited. The show carried on.

This is not the first time Polina Osetinskaya has faced censorship for repeating the common anti-war slogan "Net voine" (no to war). In September 2022, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra replaced her the day before her performance with musician Yevgeny Izotov. Also last year, her performance in Irkutsk was suddenly canceled.

 

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