Morgenshtern on the war

Relocation to Dubai

On November 23, 2021, the head of Russia's Investigative Committee, Aleksandr Bastrykin, claimed that Morgenshtern was "essentially dealing drugs on social media." Soon after, the rapper left Russia for Dubai, and his scheduled concerts across Russia were canceled.

Reaction to the full-scale invasion

On February 24, 2022, Morgenshtern vaguely spoke out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine:

Comrade soldiers, what is the point of going to die on orders from big bosses? And anyway, why the f*** fight when you can f***, drink wine, and dance. I don't understand... War isn't cool anymore.

On March 14, 2022, the singer released the music video "12", dedicated to the war. It features an address by Dmitry Gordon to Russian soldiers and an audio voicemail from the mother of Ukrainian beatmaker Vladislav Palagin, with whom Morgenshtern collaborated. The artist himself declared: "We want peace. We want friendship."

Foreign agent designation and criminal prosecution in Russia

On May 6, 2022, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation designated Alisher Morgenshtern a "foreign agent" for engaging in political activity funded by Yoola Labs Ltd (Israel) and Ukraine.

In September 2024, the Moscow Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal case against the rapper for failing to include "foreign agent" disclaimers in his online publications.

"Brotherly peoples"

In 2024, he commented on the question of whether Russians and Ukrainians are one people:

...yes, we are one people, 100%, my wife is Ukrainian. I was there, I saw them, I gave concerts. Everyone speaks Russian, everyone is just the same, they just smile... But now they aren't smiling there either.

The rapper simultaneously echoed the Kremlin narrative about "brotherly peoples," yet made it clear that he views Russia as responsible for destroying the peaceful and happy lives of Ukrainians.

On returning to Russia

In November 2023, in an interview with Ksenia Sobchak, he shared his thoughts regarding Roma Zver's concerts in Donbas and the absolution of "sins":

It's a serious question, and I would thoroughly weigh all the pros and cons if such an offer came up... We both simply understand that if I perform there, it will be a political statement. And I really do not want to make any political statements, but either way, I will deal with it as it comes.

Why he is afraid of returning home:

I'll explain why I'm afraid to go back. Recently an acquaintance of mine (referring to Danya Milokhin) flew over. And this guy is like a harmless little child, shoots TikToks, dances around going 'nya-nya-nya'... he wanted to return home. He returned. What happened? 'Send him to the f***ing front line, to war, he's a traitor!' ...and that's done to a kid... And me? In their eyes, I'm probably a complete villain. I'm simply scared, that's all.

Klyushin and the reasons for emigration

In April 2024, Alisher dropped a diss track directed at his former PR director Artem Klyushin. However, in this video the artist not only touched upon a personal rift, but also detailed how Kremlin authorities exerted pressure on musicians, while reiterating his anti-war position:

The war begins, and I want to shoot the video «12». Klyushin was the only person begging me not to release it under threat of death. Acting as my producer, he made an arrangement with someone from the Kremlin that I supposedly support the authorities, whereas the video «12» in their eyes is anti-government. But this video is anti-war. I am against the war; I don't care about the state. I am against people dying... When I put out that video, Klyushin texts me claiming that Chechens are hunting for me and want to slit my throat... When the war started, that b***h was the first to text me: «Post a Z in your Instagram Story, and then we will be able to return to Russia.

This served as the catalyst for his departure abroad. Today, according to the artist, he realizes he wouldn't have been killed merely over a music video, and is convinced that Klyushin fabricated all those threats himself.

An "apolitical" stance

In April 2024, he published a video confirming his stance outside of politics:

People keep telling me: «Why don't you help Ukraine or Israel then?» Because I don't want to get involved in politics and I don't want to take one side. War is somewhat deeper than you imagine. These are games played by very powerful men, and unfortunately, these games affect peaceful, innocent people, but that has been the case since time immemorial and historically that has always been the case, alas. Therefore, I do not support any particular country and I do not take anyone's side, because these are games played by big bosses. And I don't want to play their games. I have my own game... I am a creator, I make art.

Entry ban to Lithuania

In November 2025, Lithuania banned Morgenshtern from entering the country for 10 years (according to BNS, citing the Migration Department). His concert in Vilnius was scheduled for November 29, but Mayor Valdas Benkunskas petitioned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to cancel the show, claiming the artist "expresses respect for Putin and does not know who Crimea belongs to." Following this, the Foreign Ministry sent a request to the Ministry of the Interior and the Migration Department, which issued the ban.

In April 2026, the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania upheld Alisher Morgenshtern's appeal and overturned the entry ban to Lithuania.