Igor Krutoy is a Soviet, Ukrainian, and Russian pop composer, producer, pianist, and singer. People's Artist of the Russian Federation (1996), People's Artist of Ukraine (2011; stripped of the title in 2024 under NSDC sanctions against individuals supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine). Born on July 29, 1954, in Haivoron, Kirovohrad Oblast, Ukraine. Holds Russian citizenship and resides in Miami, USA.
Listening to this artist's tracks on official streaming platforms, social media, and other services indirectly contributes to financing the war — through taxes paid to the budget of the Russian Federation.
In August 2015, he was entered into the database of the Myrotvorets website for illegally visiting occupied Crimea, denying Russian aggression, and popularizing the Russian occupation regime.
Support for Putin's Policies and the Annexation of Crimea
In September 2015, Igor shared his perspective on the causes of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine in an interview with "Argumenty i Fakty":
Yes, Ukraine is my homeland. My father is buried there, and my close friend Rinat Akhmetov lives there. Naturally, we have subjects to argue about today, but he remains my closest friend... Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn warned many years before current events that confrontation between Russia and Ukraine was inevitable... How could he foresee this so many years in advance? But I believe that right now there is no war between us, but rather an artificial attempt to convert Ukrainians' current hardship into hatred toward Russia and pit two brotherly peoples against each other for a hundred years. This is not easy to achieve because we are integrated mentally, economically, and by blood. Yes, enmity can be sown temporarily. But I truly hope our relations will normalize soon. I already see movement in that direction.
He reflected on a possible "Maidan" in Russia as follows:
God forbid that what happened in Ukraine should happen in Russia. But for now, I see no prerequisites for that. All attempts to isolate and weaken Russia have, on the contrary, converted into patriotism and national unification. More than any other people, Russians unite and rally together when facing actions directed against them.
In 2016, in an interview with Sobesednik.ru, he stated that Ukraine's economy can only be rebuilt through ties with Russia:
I am confident that time will pass — and everything will work out. The recovery of Ukraine's economy lies solely through ties with Russia. They remain two brotherly peoples regardless.
In 2018, during the "Children's New Wave" competition held in occupied Crimea, Igor told "Komsomolskaya Pravda" that "Sooner or later, everything with Ukraine will be resolved":
I am certain that sooner or later everything between our countries will be settled. I visit Ukraine. My father is buried there, after all. I see how ordinary people feel about the current political situation... They understand everything; they just can't do anything about it. I am sure that after some time, everything will be normal between our countries.
In 2018, he became a confidant of Vladimir Putin in the presidential election. Following Putin's electoral victory, Igor Krutoy's "Music Academy" received 30 million rubles in sponsorship funding.
Igor Krutoy's Stance on the War in Ukraine
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Igor Krutoy has not said a single word about the military aggression, adopting a stance of complete silence.
In November 2024, he was awarded the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class, by decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Krutoy shook hands with the bloody dictator, thanked him for the award, and pledged that he "will continue to create and work for the benefit of our great country."
Igor Krutoy participated in the filming of the "Goluboy Ogonyok 2025/2026" program on state television channel Rossiya-1, where the main guests were participants of the "SMO." Performing in such an environment makes the artist an integral part of propaganda that glorifies the war. Even without overt declarations from the stage, entertaining the occupiers represents a deliberate choice to support Russian aggression.
He continues to work in Russia, thereby paying taxes into the budget of the aggressor state.
