Officials in Kazakhstan's southern Almaty region have cancelled a concert by pro-Kremlin Russian singer Grigory Leps amid a public outcry over his support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Almaty city lawmaker Erkin Raqyshev said on June 19 that the concert, scheduled to be held in the town of Qonaev on July 8, was cancelled by "popular demand." The concert's organizer, the Macao Luxury Village Resort company, confirmed the news. Leps and another Russian singer, Nikolai Baskov, have openly said that they would pay 1 million rubles (about $12,000) for every destroyed Ukrainian tank during Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
Public Outcry Forces Cancellation Of Pro-Kremlin Singer's Concert In Kazakhstan
Grigory Leps performs during a rally and concert marking the fourth anniversary of Russia's annexation of the Crimea region at Manezh Square in central Moscow in March 2018.