A concert by a Russian singer has been canceled after he performed a song he wrote that is critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mikhail Novitsky's concert was scheduled for January 23 at the privately run Arts Center in St.Petersburg.
But the administration of the venue told Novitsky on January 22 that his concert was canceled due to unspecified reasons beyond their control.
Novitsky told RFE/RL he thinks the cancellation was because of Putin, Hello!, a song he peformed at a recent opposition gathering in St. Petersburg.
The song mocks Putin, citing events like the 2004 Beslan school massacre and the 2000 Kursk nuclear submarine tragedy.
It also pokes fun at Putin for lifting the shirt of a 5-year-old boy at the Kremlin in 2006 and kissing his belly, and for promotional photographs of Putin with animals.
