September 01, 2025

Prima Donna Elicits Protest


Prima Donna Elicits Protest
Anna Netrebko and Vladimir Putin Russian Presidential Press and Information Office

Anna Netrebko, a prominent Russian opera singer, has caused a backlash for returning to London’s prestigious Royal Opera House. In 2022,  in the wake of Russia's full-scale war invasion of Ukraine, many European opera houses cut ties with Netrebko due to her past associations with Vladimir Putin. Now, three years later, she has been invited to return to London to perform Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca.

The backlash was strong: on August 14 a letter was sent to The Guardian calling Netrebko a “longtime symbol of cultural propaganda for a regime that is responsible for serious war crimes.” The letter was signed by over 50 Ukrainian artists, as well as by world leaders, including the former prime minister of New Zealand.

Netrebko’s personal history with the Russian regime is muddled and contradictory. Much of the outrage at her return to London is due to the fact that she has been photographed with Vladimir Putin on multiple occasions, notably in 2008 (when she was awarded the People’s Artist of Russia) and in 2013 (at the opening of St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky II Theatre). Netrebko has also been denounced for her relationship with Valery Gergiev, a Russian conductor who acted as her mentor. Gergiev has repeatedly publicized his support for Putin and his regime.

Still, though Netrebko has been seen with Putin at events celebrating Russian art, she has denounced Putin’s war. In 2022, after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Netrebko took to social media to call for the end of this “senseless war of aggression” and to deny her personal ties to any Russian leaders. Still, Netrebko draws intense criticism. Her performance at the Vienna State Opera in 2022 was greeted with boos and protesters outside, and her upcoming role in Tosca is likely to meet with a similar reaction.

You Might Also Like

Playwright and Director Sentenced
  • July 16, 2024

Playwright and Director Sentenced

The theater director and playwright have been in pre-trial detention for over a year on charges of "justifying terrorism." Now they've been sentenced.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955