Protest in London against Anna Netrebko’s performances at Royal Opera House

Hundreds of people gathered outside London’s Royal Opera House to protest against scheduled performances by Russian soprano Anna Netrebko in September.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported this, as related by Ukrinform.

Netrebko is set to appear in four performances of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca, with the first scheduled for September 11 under the baton of Czech conductor Jakub Hrůša. Tickets for all performances have already sold out.

Several dozen prominent artists, writers, and philosophers from various countries have signed an open letter demanding Netrebko’s removal from the production.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry commented on the protest, saying demonstrators sent a clear message: “culture must never be used to whitewash complicity with war and aggression.”

“Anna Netrebko chose to stand with Putin – as his ‘trusted representative’, recipient of Kremlin honours, and supporter of his war in Ukraine. No stage, however grand, can hide that choice. The British people have always stood for freedom and justice. Today that means to keep standing with Ukraine – and with the children whose voices Russia tries to silence,” the ministry wrote on X.

Previously, following protests, both the Bavarian State Opera in Munich and the Metropolitan Opera in New York terminated their contracts with Netrebko.

As reported, Netrebko openly supported Russia’s war since 2014, when she visited Donetsk, backed the so-called DPR, and posed in clothing with the slogan “To Berlin.” She was also listed as a trusted representative of Vladimir Putin during the 2012 presidential election.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, many theaters cut ties with Netrebko, though she has gradually returned to the international opera stage.