Russian pro-war Turetsky Choir performs at UN, Ukraine responds

Ukrinform reported the information.

On May 5, Russia held a concert by the Turetsky Choir in the UN General Assembly Hall. The choir has often performed in occupied Ukrainian cities and for veterans of the so-called "special military operation." Russia dedicated the concert to its Victory Day, claiming it aimed to "remind of the price of peace and the power of human unity," according to its UN mission.

Ukraine’s acting Permanent Representative to the UN, Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, said Russia misused the UN platform and turned a tribute to war victims into a propaganda tool.

The diplomat stated that on Monday, the General Assembly hall had been disgracefully used by the Russian Federation for what it called a memorial concert, which in reality served as a platform for spreading Russian propaganda about the so-called Great Patriotic War. She remarked that it resembled more a dance on the graves than a tribute.

She emphasized that the memory of millions should not be disrespected by tolerating Soviet-Russian falsehoods about the so-called Great Patriotic War. She also reminded the audience of Ukraine’s suffering during the war, as a nation caught between two totalitarian regimes.

She further noted that the Soviet Union had cooperated with Nazi Germany at the beginning of the war and pointed out that the front line had crossed Ukrainian territory twice.

Hayovyshyn firmly rejected Russia’s attempts to appropriate the victory in order to justify its current aggression against Ukraine. She recalled that at least 8 million Ukrainians had been killed during the war — 5 million civilians and 3 million soldiers.

She stated that this great victory, along with the peace and freedom of Europe, had been achieved through the enormous sacrifices of Ukrainians. She added that this was the reason why they categorically rejected Moscow’s cynicism in trying to appropriate this historic achievement to justify its aggression against Ukraine and the crimes committed against its people.

Hayovyshyn emphasized the parallels between Nazi actions and those of present-day Russia. She pointed out that, just as the Nazis had dehumanized their victims, Russia today was dehumanizing Ukrainians under the false and cynical pretext of “denazification.”

Radio Liberty published a video of the concert.

The founder of the Turetsky Choir, Mikhail Turetsky, claimed that the entire hall allegedly stood up when the artists performed the Russian national anthem at the UN General Assembly in New York.

According to Russia's First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, the concert was held to a full house - "so many people came that many couldn’t even get into the 1,800-seat hall."

"And this was despite active attempts to disrupt the concert made by Ukrainians and their European sponsors! Just the day before, in desperation to stop us, the Ukrainians circulated a note at the UN urging people not to attend our concert. As you can see, that didn’t work," he wrote.