"AloeVera" is an indie pop-rock band formed in 2011 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The band's frontwoman and songwriter is Vera Musaelyan.
Listening to the old tracks of this artist on official streaming platforms, social media, and other services may indirectly contribute to financing the war — through royalties paid to Russian labels and distributors, which pay taxes to the budget of the Russian Federation.
Vera Musaelyan was previously married to Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin; they are currently divorced. Vera also publicly supported opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Because of her civic stance, the band "AloeVera" faced concert cancellations even prior to the full-scale war in Ukraine.
Position of the band AloeVera on the war in Ukraine
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukrainian territory, Vera Musaelyan openly spoke out against the war. On February 24, 2022, an unequivocal anti-war post condemning the Russian authorities appeared on the singer's Instagram account:
I despise this government and its decisions. It has long been illegitimate. With my money, they kept me in constant fear of being maimed by OMON batons on the streets of Moscow; with my money, they are committing criminal acts of war.
On her social media channels, Vera Musaelyan conveyed anguish over unfolding events and urged followers not to give in to provocations, avoid slipping into cycles of mutual accusation, and protect their mental well-being.
On March 4, 2022, Vera published a detailed post about Ukraine: recounting her refusal to perform in Crimea following its annexation, the band's first tour across Ukrainian cities, her impressions of Ukrainians as open, warm, and generous people, and debunking Kremlin myths regarding "Ukrainian Nazis." Vera summarized her memories of Ukraine with the words:
We do not need to be liberated, we are a free people« — this is what our friends [from Ukraine] write. They chose their own president in their own country. We respect their opinion and therefore publish this text. No to war. Glory to Ukraine.
Despite the vocalist's outspoken anti-war stance, the group initially continued touring across cities of the Russian Federation. However, predictably, the musicians soon encountered mounting administrative hurdles and intimidation, culminating in a total ban on their performances. Vera later reflected on this in an interview:
We played until the very last, staging secret underground concerts up until 2023. We operated through some sort of undercover network, and we managed to evade the closest state surveillance.
The band "AloeVera" was placed on the blacklist of artists whose live performances Russian authorities deem unacceptable due to an anti-war stance. The musicians left Russia and emigrated to Berlin.
A decisive catalyst in the final decision to emigrate was the imprisonment of Vera's former husband Ilya Yashin:
I attended all of Ilya's court hearings. And when they announced his eight-year sentence, I realized that was it. It is very strange to wake up in the Krasnoselsky district where he was once head of the municipal district. Where you spent so many happy moments together. And now this person is sitting in prison. That played a decisive role in making the final decision. Because while he was free, there was still this futile internal hope that everything wasn't completely finished. But once he was locked away, I thought: what am I going to do here?
On December 30, 2022, the band "AloeVera" released the anti-war album "Sdelayem Vid" ("Let's Pretend"), with the song "Novosti" ("News") featuring the haunting lyrics:
I read the news non-stop
I don't know how to fight evil.
You send me an audio message
Of my country bombing your home.
Video: AloeVera: Life in Berlin, Yashin, Sobchak
Currently, the musicians tour actively across Europe and other countries abroad. Vera Musaelyan regularly gives interviews, consistently articulating an anti-war stance, criticizing the Russian regime, and expressing steadfast solidarity with Ukrainians.
