Aleksandr Malinin on the war

Silence following the outbreak of full-scale war

After 2022, Aleksandr Malinin chose a stance of silence, refraining from direct political statements about the war. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the artist left for Germany to ride things out for a while, but periodically returned to Russia to give concerts.

Criticism from Russian Z-patriots

In 2023, Malinin decided to return to Russia after all and resumed his concert activities. However, for his "silent stance" he received a storm of criticism from Z-patriots, who demanded that he express support for the Russian army since he was earning money in Russia. In particular, Saratov Regional Duma deputy Maria Usova stated:

This will remain on the conscience of artist Malinin. Sitting on two chairs is difficult, or even impossible under certain circumstances. One must be honest with the people one performs before, rather than treating spectators as a feeding ground. Otherwise, one might choke

On February 7, 2024, Saratov Regional Duma deputy Roman Gribov also spoke out condemning Aleksandr Malinin's stance:

Gribov's statement made it clear that Malinin refused to publicly endorse the so-called SMO from the stage, for which he received a wave of hostility.

Statement declaring readiness to participate in the war

In March 2024, Aleksandr Malinin made a statement declaring his readiness to join the so-called SMO if necessary:

Lately, a great deal of false information aimed at discrediting me has appeared online. I am Russian. A citizen of the Russian Federation and a People's Artist of Russia. I hold state awards. I am a bearer of two orders — Friendship and Honor. I was born in the Urals in the city of Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg). I reside permanently in Russia, in Moscow. I tour with concerts and frequently travel abroad. The claim that I permanently reside abroad is a lie! I live in Russia, work here, and pay taxes. And regarding the SMO, I served in the army, took an oath, and remain faithful to it to this day. If it becomes necessary to go defend the Motherland, I am ready. And I also want to state that not a single public organization or regional deputy has the right to violate the law and prohibit a citizen of the Russian Federation from working in Russia

For these statements, he was immediately entered into the database of the Myrotvorets website for public support of Russian aggression and the killing of Ukrainian citizens, as well as encroachment on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Stripping of the People's Artist of Ukraine title

Aleksandr Malinin was also stripped of the honorary title of People's Artist of Ukraine, which he had received in 2004.

Thus, Malinin's public posture after the start of the full-scale war evolved from prolonged silence and refusal to openly back the "SMO" to an overt declaration of readiness to defend Russia in its war against Ukraine.