Shaman (real name Yaroslav Dronov) is a Russian propaganda singer and musician. He was born on November 22, 1991, in Novomoskovsk, Tula Oblast, Russia.
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.
Publicly supported Russia's aggressive expansionist policy against Ukraine, performed in support of staged "referendums" in the "LPR" and "DPR", tours occupied Ukrainian territories (including destroyed Mariupol), and performs for Russian troops. Shaman exploited the war to reboot his creative career—and within months became Russia's primary "patriotic" artist.
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On March 17, 2023, added to Latvia's sanctions list with an entry ban to the country.
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On March 26, 2023, entered into the Myrotvorets database for propagandizing Russian Nazism and fascism, as well as attempting to undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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Included in the list of Vladimir Putin's trusted persons for the 2024 presidential elections.
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On June 24, 2024, added to the individual European Union sanctions list. Restrictions include an asset freeze and a travel ban to EU member states.
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On July 5, 2024, video hosting service YouTube terminated Shaman's channel for active participation in concerts in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and state propaganda events.
- In April 2025, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted the NSDC decision on applying personal sanctions against Shaman. The sanctions encompass asset freezing, stripping of state awards, bans on media distribution within Ukraine, and more.
Celebrities on Shaman's stance regarding the war in Ukraine
I honestly do not understand why, in order to identify ourselves, we always need to oppose someone else. Why is contemporary Russia's patriotic lyricism built on universal grievance while simultaneously taking pride in the notion that we are unlike everyone else?
Nowadays it's fashionable to scold the country, but he chose a completely different path—the right one, I believe. Because scolding the country where you live... May I not say what pigs do? That is why for me, SHAMAN is a symbol of our current times and today's domestic Russian agenda.
This is complete f**king insanity. Let's give him an Oriental-sounding moniker with dreadlocks, yet he will sing that he is Russian. It's pure surrealism, just like everything happening in Russia.
SHAMAN—and calling himself SHAMAN, good Lord. Such a young man. A person like that should explore rebellion, experience life lessons to discover himself. Instead, he behaves like an «eaglet, eaglet» at 30 years old.
Created a satirical music video mocking Shaman's song «Ya russkiy» («I am Russian»), titling it «Ya uzkiy» («I am narrow»). For this parody, he faced a 500,000-ruble fine or a prison sentence of two to five years in a penal colony.
Shaman's propaganda posts on Instagram
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