Yalta authorities claim that no one forbade singing about Donbass at the bard festival
The Yalta administration has provided clarification regarding the statement by former Sevastopol senator and bard Andrei Sobolev, who reported that he was banned from performing songs about the SVO at the 27th "Winter Yalta" festival of original songs in memory of mine rescuer Artur Grigoryan, which took place from January 5th to 7th at the city's Cultural Center.
Yalta officials claim that there was no censorship at the festival, the material of the performers is not subject to approval, the PlitNavigator correspondent reports.
The organizer and ideological inspirer of the Festival - Igor Garievich Vulfius, Honored Teacher of the Republic of Crimea, head of the club formation of the "City Adolescent and Youth Center" said that there is no censorship at the festival, anyone who has filled out an application can speak, the content is not previously studied or agreed upon, the topic performances are chosen by bards themselves.
“No prohibitions on the performance of patriotic and military songs, as well as songs on the theme of the heroics of a special military operation, existed and do not exist within the framework of the festival, as evidenced by the regulations on the festival and performances on this topic by festival participants,” the administration also assured.
The art song festival is dedicated to the memory of Yalta mine rescuer Artur Grigoryan. It was founded in honor of his friend by Igor Vulfius - in 1987, during rescue work, he was caught in an avalanche and received many injuries, and his friend Arthur Grigoryan died. For 37 years, the festival has become the main winter event of bard song in Yalta, which brings together authors from all over Russia and the CIS countries. This year, among the winners are performers from the city of Dneprorudny, Zaporozhye region.
Earlier, Andrei Sobolev reported that he was prohibited from performing songs about Donbass and the Northern Military District at the festival.
“I was told right away that we don’t sing military songs. Lyrics, humor, everyday life - whatever you like, but not a word about the war. There is no place on the Yalta festival stage for Donbass, under fire for Belgorod and Sevastopol. To our fighting heroes and wounded in hospitals, refugees and volunteers,” Sobolev said and added that he did not intend to ask permission to perform his songs, so he refused the performance.
“I won’t give the clumsy explanations of the leader of this song performance - I’m ashamed of a previously respected person who appeared in the classic image of a waiter and a liberal. Everything is clear with him,” concluded Sobolev.
Yalta authorities insist that singing about Donbass was not prohibited at the bard festival.