Tajik-born Russian singer Manizha has been removed from the list of performers at the upcoming Stereoleto song festival in St. Petersburg, scheduled for June 12-13, Fontank.ru reported on June 7.
The festival's organizers said on social media that Manizha's performance was scrapped "due to reasons that do not depend on us."
The founder of the festival, Ilya Bortnyuk, said the decision was "mutual," and "right in the current situation."
Manizha, who represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest last year, wrote on Instagram on June 7 that her performance had been canceled at the festival, but did not give any further details.
Earlier, persecution was launched against the singer in telegram-channels .
Russian actress Maria Shukshina, in particular, wrote on her telegram-channel, “This is not the first day I have been written about this festival Stereoleto. Something hurts a lot of traitors gather in one place to sing, dance, have fun. Does Piter need it?”
On another post, Shukshina appreciated her subscribers’ “passionate desire to clear the country of the 5th column.”
Since Russia launched its so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24, Manizha has made several public statements calling for an end to what she called "a fratricidal war."
She has also called for peace talks and expressed her opinion opposing the isolation of Russian culture from world’s events.
Her public statements sparked calls by many in Russia to remove Manizha from the festival.
Manizha was born in Tajikistan in 1991. Her family moved to Russia during the Central Asian country's 1992-97 civil war.
Last year, after she was chosen to represent Russia at Eurovision in Rotterdam, many ultranationalist groups in Russia openly protested against her nomination, citing her ethnic background.
