Monetochka on the war

The Voices of Peace charity tour and aid for refugees

In the spring of 2022, Monetochka, alongside prominent rapper Noize MC, launched a major series of international charity concerts titled Voices of Peace. The concerts took place across major European capitals, including Riga, Vilnius, Warsaw, Prague, Berlin, and Helsinki. All ticket proceeds and direct audience donations were channeled to the Polish foundation Fundacja Siepomaga to assist Ukrainian refugees. Over the course of the tour, the musicians succeeded in raising over 200,000 euros.

We stand against the terrible and dishonorable war unleashed by the Russian authorities against Ukraine... We consider it our moral duty not only to openly declare our opposition, but also to help those whose lives have been shattered by the war.

Monetochka continued to participate in humanitarian initiatives supporting Ukrainians throughout subsequent years. In June 2024, she performed at the Music 4 Life charity festival in Warsaw, sharing the stage with prominent Ukrainian artists. A portion of the ticket proceeds was transferred to the Gen.Ukrainian foundation, which provides specialized psychological rehabilitation for children traumatized by the war. In addition, following her solo concert in Oslo, the organizers forwarded a donation to the Ukrainian children's medical foundation «Tabletochki».

Anti-war music and creative work

Following the outbreak of the war, Monetochka released several explicitly anti-war songs. During her international live concerts, she repeatedly condemned the Russian invasion and chanted the slogan «Glory to Ukraine!».

Together with Noize MC, the singer released the poignant anti-war music video «Nobody Was Hurt» and urged audiences to support the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv, which suffered devastating damage from a Russian missile strike.

Liza Monetochka's statements about the war in Ukraine

In May 2022, in an extensive interview with Irina Shikhman, Monetochka spoke frankly about her stance, her forced emigration, her sense of responsibility, and her feelings toward the ongoing tragedy:

I stay in touch with musicians I was close with before. I can understand what reasons someone might have to remain silent. But I cannot fathom a single reason to go out and actively support this. I do not know how they will live with this, or what they will say to their children.

Right now, I have no desire to conceal this behind metaphors... These thoughts keep pressing in, this overwhelming sense of injustice that you can no longer keep silent about. For me, this isn't happening to some abstract people; these are my fans, the very people I performed for... I had a tour with three Ukrainian cities on the schedule. It is extremely difficult for me to live with the realization that I paid taxes for them, and I understand perfectly well where those taxes went.

A strange division emerged, as though between dissidents and patriots. And those people who are already painting this letter Z on baby strollers have somehow appropriated the title of patriots for themselves. But I believe that fighting back, hating [the war], speaking out about it — that is currently the only way not just to defend Ukraine, but the only authentic way to express true patriotism. Because patriotism means desiring a good future for your country and having faith that, despite all the horrors, it may one day deserve it.

Monetochka's social media posts on the war

Nobel Peace Prize nomination

In December 2024, it became known that a group of professors from a Norwegian university nominated Monetochka and Noize MC for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to those who "have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."

Persecution in Russia: "foreign agent" status and criminal proceedings

Her active anti-war public engagement and humanitarian support for Ukraine made Monetochka a direct target of Russian state authorities. In January 2023, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation designated the singer as a "foreign agent" due to her public statements opposing the war and her fundraising campaigns for Ukraine.

In September 2024, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation launched a criminal investigation against Elizaveta Gyrdymova for her refusal to comply with Russian "foreign agent" labeling mandates. Despite continuous political pressure, state persecution, and legal threats in Russia, Monetochka continues to reside in European exile and steadfastly support Ukraine.

Monetochka's track cut from Ukrainian release of Spider-Man

In July 2026, it was reported that Monetochka's song «Monopoly», which was included on the soundtrack of the film «Spider-Man: Brand New Day», was excluded from the Ukrainian theatrical release. According to Ukrainian media reports, the scene featuring the composition was cut, although the singer's name remained in the final film credits.

The development sparked intense discussion across Ukrainian social networks. Many users criticized the inclusion of a Russian artist's track in a major Hollywood blockbuster, emphasizing that during an ongoing war of aggression, music by Russian artists remains an acutely sensitive issue for the Ukrainian public, even when the performers themselves openly oppose the Russian invasion.

Criticism from the Ukrainian audience

Despite Monetochka's public anti-war position and sustained humanitarian support for Ukraine, certain songs and creative choices of hers have drawn criticism from segments of the Ukrainian audience. Key concerns include:

• The song «Ty soldat» ("You Are a Soldier"). Monetochka expresses sympathy for a soldier returning from war, singing about his psychological trauma and wishing to "heal" his wounds, while stating: "whatever war you fought in, forgive me, I will be on the other side." Ukrainians frequently interpret this in context as addressing Russian combatants, meaning that public compassion directed toward armed invaders evokes deep anger and resentment.
• The song «Vyshe krysh» ("Above the Roofs"). The lyrics contain the line: "Flight Moscow – Paris, Kyiv – Petersburg." Part of the Ukrainian public considers it entirely inappropriate to romanticize transit between Kyiv and Russian cities amidst daily Russian missile barrages across Ukraine and the deaths of peaceful Ukrainian citizens.
• Collaboration with Russian label M2. Monetochka continues to distribute music in partnership with the Russian record label M2. For many Ukrainian listeners, this appears deeply contradictory and hypocritical in light of her overt anti-war stance.
• Abstract pacifist framing. In her songs and interviews, Monetochka frequently focuses on broad themes of peace, human suffering, and the desire for hostilities to end. Critics argue that this pacifist framing fails to place sufficient emphasis on Ukraine as a victim of unprovoked imperial aggression defending its existence, while diluting the personal guilt and culpability of Russian soldiers.