Leonid Agutin is a Soviet and Russian singer, composer, musician, songwriter, arranger, and director; Merited Artist of the Russian Federation (2008). Born on July 16, 1968, in Moscow.
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 May 2017, he was entered into the database of the «Myrotvorets» center for participating in propaganda events of the Russian occupation authorities on the territory of annexed Crimea.
He endorsed Russia's annexation of Crimea, declaring in an interview with RIA Crimea:
It is important to me that things keep getting better and better on this piece of land. Because this is a stunning place, the climate is unique. We have nothing comparable elsewhere, nothing can compare to this place. There were talks about setting up a casino here, and that is a very right decision. We need to create a sort of «Russian Las Vegas» here, and I think that will give a great boost to development.
Leonid Agutin’s Position on the War in Ukraine
On March 2, 2022, Leonid published an anti-war post of a generic nature on his Instagram:
6 days of complete stupor. 6 days of fear and confusion. 6 days of horror and tragedy. God is my witness, I have always been a patriot of my country. I was in the past, am in the present, and will be in the future. I myself held an assault rifle in my hands and guarded the borders of my homeland, alongside Ukrainians as well. I am not going to utter political slogans. I am not going to analyze the situation. All of that is in the past. I am not demanding, for who needs my demands? I PRAY — STOP THE WAR! Reach an agreement! Every new day means new deaths of our boys, of Ukrainian citizens, millions of broken lives on both sides, their pain, resentment, fear, and humiliation. Another way must be found for the political ambitions of all participants in the big game. This one has exhausted itself! Long ago.
On March 20, 2022, alongside his wife Anzhelika Varum, he performed at the online charity concert U FOR UKRAINE to aid Ukrainian refugees. The artists performed Magic Song to the melody of "Shchedryk". Later, thousands of accusations rained down on the couple, and they quickly distanced themselves from participation in the event.
On March 25, 2022, during his concert, Agutin spoke directly from the stage, calling for an immediate end to military aggression in Ukraine:
We will only be able to look adequately at everything happening right now after a certain amount of time passes… But right now, all normal people want military actions to end as soon as possible and peace to come.
Agutin's civic stance in March–April of that year led to the cancellation of the musician's concerts across several Russian cities.
In June 2022, the Chairman of the "A Just Russia" party Sergey Mironov accused the singer and his wife of sponsoring the Ukrainian Armed Forces, to which Agutin responded on his Instagram:
We have never participated in raising money for the AFU. Someone was the first to blurt it out for a sensational soundbite, and many eagerly jumped on it. On my social media pages, we refuted this long ago with facts and evidence.
Performance at the Wedding of Malofeyev and Lvova-Belova
On September 8, 2024, Agutin performed at the wedding of international criminals Maria Lvova-Belova and Konstantin Malofeyev. For reference:
- Konstantin Malofeyev has been under US and EU sanctions since 2014 over accusations of financing the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR. Following the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, media outlets controlled by Malofeyev became among the chief disseminators of Russian propaganda.
- Maria Lvova-Belova, after the start of the full-scale war, oversaw the deportation of Ukrainian orphan children from territories seized by Russian troops. For this, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for her.
Performance Before "SMO" Fighters
He took part in filming «Goluboy Ogonyok 2025/2026» on the state television channel «Rossiya-1», where the primary guests of honor were participants of the "SMO". Performing in such an environment makes an artist an integral part of the propaganda machinery glorifying the war. Even without making loud declarations from the stage, entertaining the occupation forces is a deliberate choice in favor of supporting Russian aggression.
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