People’s Artist of the USSR Iosif Kobzon is still very popular in post-Soviet space, so the news of him leaving the stage permanently was not only a top news item for Russian media agencies. Kobzon, a ‘United Russia’ party member, gave a press-conference dedicated to his farewell tour, but he also touched upon a number of urgent political topics.
Commenting on the mass demonstrations that took place on February 4, he said that he didn’t attend any. “As I told Mikhail Barshevsky during another conference organized by ‘Echo of Moscow’ radio, I’m opposed to such events, to Bolotnaya and to Poklonnaya equally. The only thing I ever did that was connected to demonstrations was singing the Russian anthem on Manezhnaya Square on Constitution Day. I’m opposed to the very concept of standing in a crowd and listening to someone else, someone who has access to the microphone, instead of expressing your own opinion via media. On February 4 the only thing I could do was to wait for the evening to come and pray that no fights or anything else would happen. If you want to fight you’d better do it via the media, not on the streets”.
The singer also commented on the recent incident in the State Duma with Vladimir Zhirinovsky. “I think it’s disgusting, and there’s no one else like Zhirinovsky in this sense. Do you remember his fights with Nemtsov, even with women in the Duma? He insulted a CPRF member, Putin and Vorobyev – from the rostrum. He used obscene words – and I think that’s absolutely unacceptable in such places as the State Duma! Zhirinovsky had no right to behave like that and it is said that the Duma hasn’t reacted to this demarche, just like it ignores his nationalistic statements”.
Answering questions on his relations with the ex-mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov, he said that he picks his friends by their personal qualities, and not by their rank. “When I first met Yuri Luzhkovin in 1991, we had a conflict, but still we managed to become friends later. I knew that when Yuri was deprived of his position a lot of his ‘friends’ would leave him as well, but I am still his friend and I try to support him”.
As for his plans for the future, after he leaves the stage, Kobzon said that he’ll keep doing what he’s doing now when he doesn’t perform. “I don’t follow events in cultural life much, I work as an MP, a have many social projects, like Foundations or orphanages, I’m a very busy person. So when I leave the stage, maybe I’ll have some free time for a social life as well”.
