Nohavica: I have a medal for songs, not warfare

Jaromír Nohavica has a similar opinion as the Vienna Philharmonic. He called the events in Ukraine terrible, a medal he took over directly from the Russian president four years ago, but does not intend to return. “I got the Pushkin Prize for songs, not wars,” he explains.

Putin scribes in 2018 according to the official statement of the Kremlin for the merits of strengthening friendship and cooperation between nations and the rapprochement and mutual enrichment of national cultures. Critics at the time criticized the singers for recording for Putin.

The award is given to both Russian citizens and foreigners. In 2004, it was also given to the Slovak writer and translator Ján Štrasser. However, he gave up the award in response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the Slovak website Teraz.sk informed. “Unfortunately, Pushkin’s medal is also Putin’s medal, the certificate of its award was signed by the President of the Russian Federation,” said Strasser.

Gagarin tells of misinformation

The Slovácko Theater decided to change the program plan in response to the Russian invasion. The premiere of the game The Rise and Fall of Yuri Gagarin will be added in May. The actors will start rehearsing it under the direction of the artistic director of the theater, Lukáš Kopecký, in the coming days.

According to actor and theater spokesman Josef Kubáník, the story of the first cosmonaut focuses on a time when ideology was more important than the truth, winning space races was more important than security, and when certain people did not have to be held accountable for their decisions.

“The central themes are misinformation and distortion of the facts. That is, a practice that has always been close to the Soviet, now Russian, leadership of the country, “said Libuše Habartová, director of the Uherské Hradiště scene.

The solidarity of Ukraine has been provided by the theater in recent days by hoisting the Ukrainian flag. “We seriously reject any aggression by Russia and consider its actions to be barbaric and threatening the security of the whole of Europe, and therefore of the whole world,” the director said. The actors also want the audience to present their opposition to the war before each performance.