The International Movement Arts Against Aggression is a global network of artists, cultural workers, scholars, activists, and institutions advocating for ethical responsibility in the cultural sphere and opposing the use of art and culture to legitimize aggression, authoritarianism, and imperial domination.

Since 2014, Arts Against Aggression has fought against Russian cultural propaganda in the U.S. and Europe, successfully preventing Putin’s artists from performing in the West.

This is why we were deeply shocked and disheartened to learn that Vadim Repin, the violinist closely connected to Putin, has been invited to perform with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra at Bulgaria Hall on May 14, 2026

It is particularly cynical that Putin’s violinist Repin is set to perform Sergei Prokofiev’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1. Prokofiev was born in Ukraine, where his childhood was shaped by Ukrainian folk music and landscapes. The Donetsk International Airport, destroyed by the Russian army in 2014, was named after him. Prokofiev’s birthplace, Sontsivka, has been under Russian occupation since December 2024, and the Prokofiev Museum there suffered damage and looting in late 2024 and 2025. 

These are not coincidences, but rather part of a broader pattern. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, over 2,000 cultural sites—such as theaters, museums, libraries, and art schools—have been damaged or destroyed. Additionally, more than 268 Ukrainian artists have been killed. Continuing its imperial tradition, Russia is working to erase Ukrainian culture and heritage.

Unlike his wife, Putin’s protégé ballerina Svetlana Zakharova, violinist Vadim Repin is not affiliated with the ruling “United Russia” party, does not hold any state positions, and he has refrained from making political statements. Nonetheless, Repin, a Belgian citizen living in Italy and Switzerland, is actively involved in Kremlin propaganda initiatives and has received substantial financial support from Putin’s Propaganda Fund (the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives).

For these particular reasons, the performance of Vadim Repin and Svetlana Zakharova, originally planned for January 20 and 21, 2026 at the Italian Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, has been canceled. Pina Picierno, the Vice-president of the European Parliament, praised the cancelation and said that in Italy “there is no place for collaborators of criminal regimes.”

Vadim Repin’s performance, set for February 22, 2026, at the Mannheim Philharmonic—just before the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion—has been canceled after an official request from the Ukrainian embassy. In an statement released by the Mannheim Philharmonic and published in BackstageClassical, the orchestra announced, that “After extensive internal discussions, we have unanimously decided to grant the request of our Ukrainian fellow citizens and cancel the concert.”

Vadim Repin’s performance with the Palm Beach Symphony in Florida, scheduled for March 2, just before the fourth anniversary of the Bucha massacre, was canceled following strong opposition from local Russian and Ukrainian communities. The change of soloists, said a spokeswoman for the orchestra, was “made in the best interests of our organization, musicians, patrons and the greater community.”

Arts Against Aggression strongly urges the Ministry of Culture and the Sofia Philharmonic to take inspiration from the actions of Teatro del Maggio, Mannheim Philharmonic, and Palm Beach Symphony by canceling violinist Vadim Repin’s performance at Bulgaria Hall. Repin’s invitation could jeopardize not only the reputation of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra but also EU funding.

Here are some insights into Vadim Repin’s engagement in the Kremlin’s propaganda campaign and the substantial payments he has received from the Russian state:

On January 16, 2019, during a meeting between Vladimir Putin and government officials in the Kremlin, Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets, reporting on the Russian Seasons programme abroad, separately mentioned the Violin Festival led by Vadim Repin. According to her, the festival took place in Italy, covered more than 300 events in more than 70 cities and, as stated, led to the conclusion of numerous contracts and the establishment of “cultural ties”. Thus, Repin was publicly presented as one of the key figures in Russian “soft power”, implemented directly under the patronage of the President of the Russian Federation.

Photo of Vadim Repin at a meeting with Vladimir Putin

On April 1, 2022, as the world dealt with the shock of the Bucha massacre and Russia was suspended from the United Nations Human Rights Council, President Putin conferred the honorary title of People’s Artist of the Russian Federation to Vadim Repin. This state recognition was a clear signal of support from the regime amid Russia’s international isolation.

On February 21, 2024, Repin performed with the State Kremlin Orchestra at a concert organised by the Kremlin Foundation. The event was timed to coincide with Defender of the Fatherland Day, and the Presidential Library’s website announced the concert as “a wonderful gift for our defenders”, offering tickets at a reduced price. Thus, the musician once again found himself in the context of official events with a clear ideological message.

In June 2024, Repin’s close ties to Putin’s regime became the focus of international attention during a scandal at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. After his victory, Ukrainian violinist Dmytro Udovychenko publicly refused to shake hands with Russian jury member Vadim Repin. Udovychenko clarified he cannot shake hands with someone organizing a Putin-funded festivals in Russia, especially while his parents endure Russian bombardment in Kharkov, Ukraine.

On April 18, 2025, Vadim Repin performed a concert with the Russian National Orchestra, which was broadcast to an audience in the temporarily occupied Crimea. This constitutes a direct violation of international law and further confirms his involvement in legitimising the Russian occupation through culture.

On February 19, 2026, just before the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Vadim Repin took the stage with Putin’s chief propaganda artists Yuri Bashmet, Denis Matsuev, and Ildar Abdrazakov at the Sochi Winter Festival‘s Gala Concert.  All have been banned in the West for their support of the war in Ukraine and Putin’s regime. The event was sponsored by the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives and VTB Bank, which is sanctioned by the European Union. This indicates that Vadim Repin is included among the chief propaganda artists of the regime.

Putin’s top propagandists Yuri Bashmet, Ildar Abdrazakov, Denis Matsuev, and Vadim Repin appeared on the Gala Concert poster for the Sochi Winter Festival.

In addition, on March 17, 2026, the Kremlin website published a personal greeting from Vladimir Putin to “’People’s Artist of Russia Vadim Repin, who founded the [Trans-Siberian Art Festival] and has been leading it ever since.” This highlights the significance of Vadim Repin’s activities for the Putin regime.

The financial aspect deserves special attention. Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Vadim Repin has received over 100 million roubles from the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, a structure established by Vladimir Putin to finance projects promoting anti-Ukrainian propaganda and Russification in occupied territories.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that the Kremlin is cutting soldiers’ benefits by 25% in 2026 due to the economic crisis while increasing funding for ‘propaganda’ by over 50%. Unable to win their “special military operation” on the battlefield, the Kremlin is focusing on the propaganda front, with Vadim Repin’s concerts abroad as part of this “special cultural operation.”

We sincerely hope that Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra and Bulgarian Minister of Culture will reconsider their decision to host Vadim Repin, who acts as Russia’s cultural shield, obscuring the daily war crimes of the Putin regime, while pretending to build cultural bridges.

— Arts Against Aggression