Grigory Leps, the artist of the Russian Federation, expressed indifference towards the concert cancellations in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan by the respective authorities. Speaking to radio station "Moscow speaking," Leps emphasised that he had ample opportunities for work in Russia and neighbouring countries. He firmly believed that music should remain separate from political matters.
"How am I going to live without Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the rest now? Most people there are perfectly normal; there are just a handful of extreme left or extreme right individuals who were paid $20, and they are happy to make a fuss. But otherwise, I don't care. I live in Russia, and practically all countries in the world have banned my entry, except for our friendly ones—South America, Malaysia, Turkey, and so on. I am absolutely calm, absolutely happy here in my homeland. No problems at all. Besides, they are the masters of their own countries; they have the right to let someone in or not. But it has nothing to do with music. Music should be separate from politics. Apparently, they are irritated by my position on serving my homeland and doing everything to help our guys in the Special Forces. So be it. History will judge us, and I absolutely don't care about anything else. We have plenty of work here, and people warmly welcome us in our native country, which I'm also undoubtedly very happy about. If they forbid me from travelling anywhere in the world tomorrow, I will be proud and happy that I will only work in my own country," says the artist.
The recent cancellation of Grigory Leps' concert in Uzbekistan follows similar actions taken in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Reports suggest that this decision may be related to the singer's civic stance. Leps expressed support for the concept of paying around $11000 (one million rubles) to the Russian military for each destroyed Leopard tank and actively participated in this initiative.
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