Before taking oath, Putin kisses a composer

Before taking oath, Putin kisses a composer

News

norman lebrecht

May 08, 2024

While striding through the Kremlin yesterday, Vladimir Putin made a brief detour to kiss the 94-year-old composer Aleksandra Pakhmutova.

She must be his lucky election charm.

The picture shows Putin at her 90th birthday.

Article here.

(see the video at the bottom of the linked article; the photo at the top is of Putin congratulating Pakhmutova during the celebration of her 90th birthday at the Bolshoi Theater a few years ago). After the inauguration, according to the article, Pakhmutova shared that (quote) “Everything was wonderful! I respect Vladimir Putin very much. He’s doing a great job for our vast country.”

Comments

  • John Borstlap says:

    So many really happy people to bask in the glow of an insane killer.

    We see the dynamics of what happened in thirties Germany before our eyes.

    • WU says:

      Oh yes – although being a historian and accustomed to historic repetitions, I would have never imagined to spot Hitler live on TV in 2024!

    • Tamino says:

      “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?“

      Yes, it‘s more than just a speck, but the projection of evil on only the others in human attitude is worrying. Putin has still „only“ killed a fraction of innocent civilians in unjust wars in imperialistic endavours, compared to leading western nations of our times.

      • John Borstlap says:

        Yes, all the evil in the world comes from the USA and its European allies, that’s why we see protest rallies agaist the USA and never against regimes in such well-meaning countries like North-Korea, Iran, Russia, China.

        • Tamino says:

          Reductio ad absurdum

        • Tamino says:

          Those holding themselves to a higher standard, must also withstand the test against that standard. We – the freedom and universal human rights preaching west – fail. We are hypocrites.

  • Pedro says:

    They could perform Aida there, with all the animals on stage.

  • Jean says:

    In Russia, grannies rule the society. (I am not being ironic)

    Vladimir knows that if he loses the votes of the grannies, it’s all over for him.

  • Tiredofitall says:

    God, that video makes me feel filthy.

  • Sisko24 says:

    What with all that Putin has done to other nations – particularly Ukraine, I can’t help but wonder if the sole reason that he and other Russians are so against Nazism is because of what they did to Russians and not because of what the Nazis did to the world(?).

  • Nicholas says:

    Мелодия (Melody), sung beautifully by Magomayev and covered by Hvorostovsky, is Pakhmutova’s best song.

    • Uncle Sam says:

      Yep, IMHO – one of the greatest songs of the XX century! (I’d also put her “Нежность” (“Tenderness”) in the same category.) That’s why it’s particularly sad and disappointing to see the living legend (Pakhmutova) to not only eagerly participating in that farce, but praising the bloody dictator afterwards. With her untouchable status in Russia and her VERY advanced age she could just easily stay home using not feeling well as an excuse. Nobody would say a word! She could – but she didn’t…:-(
      But those songs! Here are the classic, unsurpassed in 50+ years (again – IMHO) recordings of both – by Magomayev and Maya Kristalinskaya respectively:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha7L_5C1NsI

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZwCrbrJ37A

  • Save the MET says:

    The lonely man really has no friends, just people who live in fear of his retribution. A poisoned tea here, a fall from a tall building there, a hypodermic with a noxious cocktail everywhere.

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