Valery Meladze is a Russian singer and producer of Georgian origin. Honored Artist of Russia (2006), People's Artist of the Chechen Republic (2008). He was born on June 23, 1965, in Batumi, Georgia.
Meladze retains sources of income in Russia, from which he is obliged to pay taxes to the Russian Federation, thereby indirectly financing the war in Ukraine.
! Listening to this artist's old catalog on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, social media, and other streaming platforms helps sponsor the war.
Valery Meladze's stance on the war in Ukraine
On February 24, 2022, Valery Meladze recorded a video message in which he urged for an end to hostilities and for everyone to sit down at the negotiating table:
People must know how to negotiate; that is why we are given language, why we are endowed with all our faculties. People must not die. This must be stopped.
Following this video address, the artist's concerts across Russia began to be canceled.
During a New Year's corporate event performance in Dubai, after performing his song "Nebesa" ("Heaven"), Meladze delivered a very cautious appeal for peace: "Love one another, be friends, find common ground with all people. May God grant that you are welcomed everywhere and always in any country in the world." Furthermore, Valery replied "Heroyam slava!" ("Glory to the heroes!") to a fan's greeting of "Slava Ukraini!" ("Glory to Ukraine!"). Sergei Mironov, head of the "A Just Russia — For Truth" faction, reacted to the video footage by proposing that Meladze be stripped of all state titles, while Elena Afanasyeva, a member of the Federation Council's Committee on International Affairs, demanded that the musician be deprived of Russian citizenship.
On January 3, 2023, Meladze published an Instagram post regarding "brotherly peoples":
People, I want you to hear me and understand my words. For 10 months now, I, like many other people, have been living with a feeling of heaviness and grief. It just so happened that the peoples I dearly love are in a conflict in which people are dying. I CANNOT AND DO NOT WANT TO HATE ANYONE, NOR AM I TRYING TO PLEASE ANYONE. My only dream is for this antagonism to cease and for harmony to be established between close peoples. And for this sake, I am ready to give all my strength.
It is worth noting that throughout his anti-war appeals, the artist never explicitly named which country attacked Ukraine. Nevertheless, his statements led to the widespread cancellation of his concerts in Russia, and Meladze's businesses were seized due to his departure from the Russian Federation during the so-called special military operation.
Currently, Meladze lives with his family in Spain and tours across Europe and the United States.
According to media reports, in January 2025 Valery Meladze secretly visited Russia to see relatives and visit his father's grave.
Celebrities on Meladze's stance
Meladze should be declared persona non grata on all Russian television channels, and his songs should be banned from rotation on all the country's radio stations. All concert managers must boycott him. And he himself must leave Russia. Preferably forever.
I just look at it from a human perspective. And on a purely human level, I feel sorry for him. I can't explain why. Because I know him, I realize that he «didn't want to offend anyone,» you know how it goes. You know, I'm reminded of Galustyan: «Understand and forgive.» When it comes to Meladze, I would forgive him, to be completely honest.
Perhaps that person simply played the situation to make him look like an ally. But if he genuinely allowed himself to make such a remark, he is simply burning all bridges for working in Russia. He is turning his back on the Russian people and, in principle, he can forget about such a massive country where he monetized his craft and built his fame as an artist.
When a person cannot say what they think, it is disgusting. You cannot envy Valera...
Meladze was provoked—yes. Was he intoxicated? I don't know. He has Georgian roots and years of working in Ukraine under his belt. That's why a love for his second minor homeland awoke in him, and he said what we all heard and saw. And yet the Investigative Committee sees no grounds for initiating a criminal case. I agree, that's excessive. But touring our country and earning money...
Comments section (2)