Ildar Abdrazakov Allegedly Close to Putin

By Francisco Salazar

With multiple opera houses ousting alleged Putin supporters, Ildar Abdrazakov has seemed to go under the radar for his ties to Putin.

In a new article released by OpernNews, the publication details Abdrazakov’s work in Russia during the war. According to the Austrian paper, the bass performed at the Classics at the Palace Square in St. Petersburg alongside Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo. He then sang at Moscow’s Red Square, at a celebratory event under Valery Gergiev’s baton, which also featured former KGB agent Vladimir Mikhailovich Gunyaev.

Then in September 2022, Abdrazakov performed at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, also together with Gergiev. At the event, Putin welcomed the acts of war as a cleansing of “harmful” elements inside Russia.

More damning were the videos in which Abdrazakov was seen dancing with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and soprano Hibla Gerzmava, also a Putin supporter, at a New Year’s party.

The news source also detailed Abdrazakov’s high-profile cancelation on Dec. 29, 2022, at the Teatro alla Scala. Instead of singing at the Italian house, the bass sang at a gala at the Irina Viner Usmanova Gymnastics Palace in Moscow.

Finally, the Russian dictator sent greetings at the annual “Ildar Abdrazakov International Festival,” which is financed by Putin’s bank VTB. In his message, Putin said, “It is gratifying that the remarkable project of Ildar Abdrazakov, one of the leading Russian and world opera singers, has gained deep respect and loyal fans. Every year it boosts its creative potential and pushes its boundaries.”

Putin added, “The full concert program and geographic reach of this anniversary season, from Moscow to Vladivostok, will make it possible for wide audiences to see the best examples of opera classics and vocal art. And, of course, the festival will discover new, young talents of Russia. It is an excellent school of professional skills for novice gifted performers and makes people’s lives spiritually richer and more interesting.”

During the war, Abdrazakov has been a frequent guest of the Mariinsky Theatre under Putin supporter Valery Gergiev and has performed with other Putin supporters such as Yuri Bashmet.

Thus far Abdrazakov has performed at the Royal Opera House and is also set to perform at the Bayerische Staatsoper, where General Director Serge Dorny has been outspoken about letting soprano Anna Netrebko go due to her alleged ties to Putin. The Russian bass is also set to perform alongside the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Boston Symphony.

With the war continuing to rage on and the country of Ukraine continuing to be destroyed by Putin for one year, Abdrazakov has yet to pronounce a single word against the invasion while keeping his international career intact.

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