Top violinist says: Don’t shake hands with Russians
NewsPosted by Lisa Batiashvili, following the incident at the Brussels Queen Elisabeth Competition:
Congratulations to Dmitro Udovychenko on winning the first prize of 2024 Queen Elisabeth Competition!
If the European society accepts the attitude of Russian artists who have not clearly expressed themselves against the aggressions of the Russian government and their military -particularly during the invasion in Ukraine- and are residing European cities, getting fees, raising children, and at the same time are still active in their homeland Russia, where all cultural events are more or less strongly tied with Putin and his allies, why don’t we accept and respect the decision of a young Ukrainian musician,whose country has been by now entirely destroyed, hundreds of thousands killed, tortured, deported to Russia, etc..to refuse shaking hands with a Russian jury member ?
Of course, the war is not what we musicians want, and I am sure that most of us don’t support it, but I will tell my story.
In 2008, Russia invaded South Ossetia, territory of Georgia. This invasion not only took a substantial part of my small country out of the map but also caused hundreds of thousands of refugees and a creeping occupation that still takes place in Georgia. This annexation was followed by a victorious concert of Mr. Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra in front of the cages where Georgian inhabitants were held hostage.
A very close Russian friend of mine, a renowned musician who is residing and working in Europe, commented on this war like this: “It is all the fault of your Georgian President, he thinks of him as a great friend of America. Georgia is a small country, don’t have illusions.”
Him and many other colleagues would never be questioned for their attitude , but of course, nobody wants to be responsible for the government that has not changed in Russia since 2002 and is constantly working on destabilising several European and pro European countries.
I would not judge this complex situation without trying to understand what is happening in lives of those whose families and homes are being bombed and their cities erased. As European citizen,I hope we can be grateful for what we have and protect the values that we aspire to represent. Scepticism, ignorance, indifference, or false and naive statements have no place in today’s world
She doesn’t say “don’t shake hands with Russians”. She says she respects the decision of Udovychenko……after giving context about Repin having not expressed opposition to Russian aggression. Context (and nuance) is important.
Brava Lisa, for speaking up. I think Udovychenko reacted in a perfect way.
Said by woman who as the young Ukrainian violinist didn’t live in “beloved home country” during so-called invasions. The most clever people now are those reading websites whilst sitting in their chairs and drinking wine with the new passport in their pockets.
If I’m god of music I would cancel everyone in the field of music
What? His parents are currently being shelled by Russian forces preparing to invade his hometown… his dad posted on social media he was calling his son in Brussels while explosions sounded in the background… What are you talking about? He has no connection to Ukraine just because he is learning elsewhere??
Your comment makes no logical sense. First, the validity of an argument never rests on the position of the one who speaks it. You failed to point out what exactly is wrong with the point she is making. Second, indeed, those who flee from tragedy and hardships do find better opportunities for education that allow them to have a nuanced understanding of various subjects. Starvation and lack of education are things we should be against, not for. It is beyond my comprehension that you’d wish her to suffer in Georgia so that somehow, whatever she says will become more “valid” for you. And lastly, if I were God of music, I’d rather cancel everyone who is not worthy of listening to beautiful music, those who cannot share in the pain of others, who see everything through a political lens, and who does not have any capacity for logical thought.
It is very easy to be in opposition to other country’s regime. I don’t remember British or American musicians voice their protest to neverending bombardment their countries unleashed on Iraq, Afghanistan, Serbia, Palestine etc.
Be aware of hypocrites.
Two wrongs do not make a right. Disingenuous argument.
“In 2008, Russia invaded South Ossetia, territory of Georgia.
Scepticism, ignorance, indifference, or false and naive statements have no place in today’s world.”
Yet according to the EU:
“Georgia started war with Russia: EU-backed report”
An independent report blamed Georgia on Wednesday for starting last year’s five-day war with Russia, but said Moscow’s military response went beyond reasonable limits and violated international law.
The report commissioned by the European Union said both sides had broken international humanitarian laws and found evidence of ethnic cleansing against ethnic Georgians during Russia’s intervention in the rebel province of South Ossetia.
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE58T4MO/
True. Georgia started the war with an offensive August 8th 2008. Instigated by the outgoing neocon dimwits in DC. The Georgian president at the time Saakashvili was a big friend of the US, maybe more… He later emigrated to the US and reappeared again as US operative in Ukraine. Batiashvili seems way too naive and nationalistically blinded. I grant her the favor of not spreading misinformation intentionally, for now.
She’s a facist that demands artists take a political oath. In protest, I refuse to attend any concert she plays in. People who politicize music are part of the problem and need to be sidelined.
Artists are people who often think they are right not just in their art, but in every moral and political statement they make.
Still, the problem of results remain, with which one can argue with, till the bitter end.
‘Artists are people who often think they are right not just in their art, but in every moral and political statement they make.’
Yes and the irony is that most of them are as naive as children which is why they believe such a thing in the first place.
And the prize for nonsensical statement of the year goes to you. Congratulations !
I agree that people who politicize music should be sidelined. Hitler and putin spring to mind !
Had he shaken his hand, it would have shown unity.. instead, he followed suit and worsened the already challenging situation.
1. Remember, I predicted this Ukrainian guy Udovichenko will win? I can’t imagine what kind of s-storm Repin’s victory will cause.
2. Re the 2008 war, the European Commission concluded in 2009 that “In the Mission’s view, it was Georgia which triggered off the war when it attacked Tskhinvali (in South Ossetia) with heavy artillery on the night of 7 to 8 August 2008.”
I do not know if any of you had ever been to Caucasus, but I had. And I perfectly understand the reason why the Georgians are hated in Ossetia and Abkhasia.
Nice to see a point of view articulated clearly.
Vadim Repin by accepting the genocide caused by the Russians in Ukraine, does not deserve the right to stay in the European Union, to sit in any european jury, not to mention shaking his hand by any Ukrainian. For all fans of the political “theory of relativity” I recommend a journey to the Ukraine…
Would you say, after a journey to Ukraine, that the presidents of US, Russia, and Ukraine not shaking hands is working in International Relations? Comparing the hot war to Cold War?
500 000 Ukrainians dead, but after 1000 000 victory?
20 % of Georgia, the Russian rebel areas, are occupied and ethnically cleansed of Georgians. 80 % is not. Yet.
Many Georgians seem to have 100 % in mind, which could easily take the turn to 0 %.
Can we correspond via E-mail? I would welcome your thoughts on the world situation.
howardroarke_oa@yahoo.co.uk
Learn some history.
Sure. And please do not forget to visit Crimea and the now-Russian part of Donbas.
“Scepticism, ignorance, indifference, or false and naive statements have no place in today’s world”
Visibly for the great little Lisa, the CIA doesn’t exist…
Lala land.
Your statement applies to putin and all his mouthpieces not to Lisa.
Darling, less speaking, more playing please. Thank you.
Please follow your own advice !
Kevin Zhu was by far the best.
Perhaps you should go on the jury next year.
Maybe Lisa Batiashvili should read some history about how the West has been trying to destabilize, weaken, and break up, Russia since at least 1991, before accusing Russia of attempting to destabilize European or pro-European countries. Russia wanted peace and cooperation with the West (US, EU, NATO) after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but the West would not hear of it, and is now paying the price. I am no fan of Putin’s, but he has had no choice, given the expansion of NATO (despite all the assurances made to Gorbachev and Yeltsin in the 1990s) and the complete disregard for Putin’s security concerns voiced at several Munich Security Conferences over the last twenty years. The West wants war with Russia, but Russia never wanted war with the West.
It is you who should read history before commenting.
Thing is that in Russia music is widely intervowen with politics (in China as well, but war against Taiwan has not officially started yet). The state is not only waging war, but also connected with artists who are “musicwashing” the whole thing and talking about Russian “Greatness”. Most people in the West know very well how to differentiate between Currentzis and Gergiev, between Lugansky and people like Matsuev/Repin – what the lying Russian propaganda claims (Russian artists and music are banned) is simply not true in most cases. Anyone who openly acts in the interests of Putin’s Russia and takes part in events and organizations financed by him has no place in Vienna, Paris, London, Berlin. These people would have the opportunity to find out about what Putin is doing in Ukraine and how he is tackling dissidents in his own country. But apparently that’s fine with them.
Actually, Zeleensky is tackling the dissidents in Ukraine the same way Putin is.
Not that it will ever make the “News”, that would ruin the narrative of democratic heroism. By the way, his term just expired – without new elections.
Nonsense. Just a little reminder. putin invaded Ukraine not the other way around. Furthermore he murdered his own people to secure his position.
Uh-oh the pro-hamas & russia-hating, fact-denying brainrots like Lisa herself are getting more and more unhinged
Not to defend American actions in Viet Nam, Iraq or Afghanistan, all of which I marched and protested against, but we did not go to war to incorporate any of those countries into the United States or claim them as our territory but to defend or help them set up a democratic society.
Just FYI, I’m a US Army vet.
If the official explanation of “defending democracy” by the US Army was correct in Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan, why did you protest against them?
Be the intentions what they may, I would observe the actual results.
I would say “defending democracy” in Ukraine has as much credibility as in the aforementioned countries, and similar, by now traditional results of the US Foreign Policy: A bloody mess.
This time, the encore package includes the mutual escalation option of WW3.
If she kept her mouth shut, she could have been perceived as having some brain. Europe’s import of titanium from Russia is not sanctioned (Airbus has a huge lobbying fist), but we will concentrate on which artist said what. Europe’s import of nickel from Russia is not sanctioned (we need batteries but let’s demand statements from musicians and feel good about ourselves). The list goes on. The hypocrisy of Europe is nauseating. As to this moralist’s statements regarding “Russian artists who have not clearly expressed themselves against the aggressions of the Russian government and their military” – there is a 15-year Gulag sentence there now for much more muted statements. Those who from their safety demand that others make statements or act at the risk to their lives, health and families are either provokers or disingenuous fools.
She is the embodiment of the true artist. Courage and honesty !
Courage? You mean armchair faux moral courage? Stomping your feet hard in your Munich luxury loft?
And honest? She repeatedly lies about the causalities of the recent Georgian-Russian „Blitzkrieg“.
“The bravery of being out of range” as Roger Waters sang.
“…protect the values that we aspire to represent” followed by “ naive statements have no place in today’s world”. Lol, you did a bad job at both it seems.