Maksim Leonidov is a Russian musician, composer, singer, songwriter, and film and theater actor. One of the founders of the beat quartet "Secret". Born on February 13, 1962, in Leningrad. Citizenship: Israel.
In 2014, Leonidov urged the Russian and Ukrainian peoples to achieve a peaceful resolution to the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine.
In the 2020 all-Russian vote, he voted against the amendments to the Constitution.
During the elections for the 8th State Duma, he was an authorized representative of the "Yabloko" party.
Maksim Leonidov's stance on the war in Ukraine
Following Russia's attack on Ukraine, Maksim Leonidov condemned the war. On February 24, 2022, a post with the hashtag #notowarwithukraine appeared on the artist's Instagram:
He stated that he "never concealed his position", posted songs in the Ukrainian language on social media, and emphasized that he always supports whoever "is being subjected to aggression".
In early March 2022, the musician relocated with his family to Israel:
We left on March 4. Discussions about moving to Israel for temporary or permanent stay, or trying to live in two countries, had been going on in our family for a long time. Those clouds had been gathering for more than a year, but the catalyst was this military operation.
Later, the musician deleted his Facebook page, where he had sung Ukrainian songs and posted photographs from Bucha.
In December 2022, the musical "Fear Nothing, I'm With You" premiered in Moscow, based on the songs of the band "Secret". Maksim Leonidov participated in the work on the musical. In interviews, he stated that he lives between two countries — Israel and Russia.
Due to his civic position, the singer fell victim to the "cancellation policy". In April 2022, a concert dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the band "Secret" was postponed and later cancelled altogether. Subsequently, the band's concerts in Moscow and Saint Petersburg were cancelled. The musician tours extensively worldwide.
What Maksim Leonidov says about the war in Ukraine: quotes
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"My anguish, not even grievances, but my bitter reflections are not primarily connected with the authorities; they are connected with the utter backwardness of the majority of residents of this country. I can't even bring myself to call this (Russians - ed.) a people, because it is some scattered population... it is so lazy and indifferent that out of habit it watches propaganda television, out of habit watches these channels and programs."
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Regarding musicians supporting the war: "Well, I wasn't particularly charmed to begin with, frankly speaking. If it were BG [Boris Grebenshchikov], then I would have experienced disappointment. But since it's Seryozha Galanin and Aleksandr Ivanov, I was never under any illusions. The only surprise for me was Uma2rman, but that happens too."
