«Krematoriy» (Крематорий) is a Soviet and Russian rock band formed in 1983 in Moscow. The frontman, lead vocalist, and primary songwriter of nearly all the group's songs is Armen Grigoryan.
In June 2017, Armen Grigoryan was added to the database of the Myrotvorets website for illegal concert activities in Russian-occupied Crimea. Subsequently, the band's concerts were banned across Ukraine.
In a 2019 interview with argumenti.ru, Grigoryan admitted:
Those who believe that gifting Crimea to Ukraine was a mistake (and by the way, that is exactly what I believe), those very same people don't think that way in an analogous situation regarding Nagorno-Karabakh. Double standards, pure and simple.
On February 16, 2021, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine entered Grigoryan onto the list of individuals posing a threat to national security for his unauthorized visits to occupied Crimea.
Armen Grigoryan’s (Krematoriy) Position on the War in Ukraine
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the band «Krematoriy» has not made a single official public statement condemning the war. The band maintains a posture of being "outside politics."
On May 20, 2022, Grigoryan commented on the outspoken anti-war stance of Yuri Shevchuk (DDT):
One must never mix music and politics. If you are a musician — play music, there should be no political slogans from the stage. If you desperately want to, you can join a political party and broadcast whatever you want.
The band «Krematoriy» actively tours across Russian cities. On April 29, 2023, the musicians performed at a concert organized in the wake of the motorcycle rally «Roads of Victory — We Don't Abandon Our Own!». Along the rally route, organizers raised humanitarian supplies for Russian military personnel and soldiers stationed in the "SMO" combat zone.
Порой даже думаешь - и хорошо, что Цоя, Горшка и Летова нет уже. Мало ли как бы их поелозило сейчас.