Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte and industrial metal band formed in 1994 in Berlin. The frontman and lead vocalist of the group is Till Lindemann.
Till Lindemann previously maintained quite close ties with Russia. In 2021, the singer released a music video for the 1939 Soviet song "Lyubimy Gorod" ("Beloved City"), performed in Russian. The track was recorded as a soundtrack for Timur Bekmambetov's war film Devyatayev. In the music video, Lindemann flies a Soviet fighter plane over forests. Later, Lindemann performed the song at the "Spasskaya Tower" festival on Red Square in Moscow. Additionally, the Rammstein frontman filmed a music video at the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The song was once again performed in Russian, accompanied by a female symphony orchestra.
Position of Rammstein on the war in Ukraine
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the members of the band Rammstein openly spoke out against the war and voiced support for Ukrainians. An official anti-war statement appeared on the band's Instagram and website in three languages (German, Ukrainian, and Russian), though it was later taken down:
The band Rammstein would like to express its support for the people of Ukraine, who are resisting shocking aggression on the part of the Russian government. Above all, at this moment we feel deep sorrow for the Ukrainian people and mourn over their suffering. Every member of our band is connected to both countries in one way or another. All members of the band have friends, colleagues, partners, and fans in both countries. We understand that many Russian fans may feel desperation over the actions of their government, and we want to remember the humanity that is characteristic of both Russian and Ukrainian citizens.
The band cancelled its concerts in the Russian Federation scheduled for 2022 in Novosibirsk and Moscow.
Lindemann, working alongside other volunteers at Berlin's central train station (Hauptbahnhof), personally assisted arriving Ukrainian refugees with temporary housing and shelter accommodation.
Band bassist Oliver Riedel donated all proceeds from the sale of his signature Sandberg bass guitar series to humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
On March 3, 2022, the musicians unfurled the Ukrainian national flag on stage during a concert.
In 2023, Till Lindemann unexpectedly decided to release the music video "Zunge", filmed back in 2021 by a Russian crew. The video was shot at the Moscow State Circus featuring the tigers of notorious Putin-supporting animal trainers Edgard and Askold Zapashny. The video also starred Russian actress Aglaya Tarasova, who chose a stance of silence regarding the war in Ukraine. Comments on the video release were, unsurprisingly, disabled.
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