The lead singer of Bi-2, Egor Bortnik, who is labeled a foreign agent back home in Russia, spoke openly about the band facing financial strain due to emigration. In a YouTube interview conducted in Russian with DW, the musician laid out the challenges and the band’s evolving plans as they navigate life outside Russia, where his status as a foreign media agent colorfully shapes public perception of the group.
He described the current moment as a difficult one financially, noting that Bi-2 is basically bankrupt at this stage. Yet he offered a note of cautious optimism, explaining that the hardship might be temporary because the band is actively building a new, self-directed world around its music. This shift signals a broader transition—from a once Russia-centric focus to a broader international strategy—where the artists are redefining their approach to touring, distribution, and audience engagement in a landscape that feels unfamiliar and raw but full of potential.
Bortnik outlined that Bi-2 recently undertook a test tour across the United States and Europe to learn how things operate in foreign markets. Historically, the group had concentrated its performances in Russia, cultivating a domestic following and a recognizable sound. The singer admitted that the band now uses a nuanced map to guide its live appearances, categorizing venues and regions into red, neutral, and green zones. These labels reflect the band’s experiences where performances were allowed with varying levels of scrutiny and restriction, underscoring the practical realities artists face when crossing borders with sensitive political associations attached to them.
On January 25, Pattaya and Phuket in Thailand became the stage for a troubling development when members of Bi-2 were detained by local authorities. The decision at that time related to the group’s concert permissions, or lack thereof, in those tourist hotspots. The incident highlighted the fragile nature of international touring, where permits, visas, and local regulations can abruptly alter an artist’s schedule and plans, sometimes with consequences that ripple through a group’s momentum and financial stability.
Following the detention, the band’s trajectory took a further turn. By February 1, after being detained, the members were flown to Israel and subsequently deported from Thailand. The episode featured a high-level exchange, with Israel’s foreign affairs leadership engaging personally with the artists, underscoring how swiftly cross-border encounters can escalate into diplomatic and administrative matters that affect an artist’s career and comfort on the road.
Meanwhile, voices within the music community have been watching closely how policies around foreign agents and international recognition are evolving. In related developments, public remarks from an activist named Borodin indicated that there was momentum behind the formal recognition process for another major figure, Pugacheva, as a foreign agent in the same international context. These conversations reflect a broader climate in which performances abroad, media visibility, and political designations intersect, shaping what artists can and cannot do across borders and how audiences interpret their work. The implications for Bi-2 and its members extend beyond isolated incidents; they illustrate a broader pattern of how geopolitical factors can intersect with cultural careers, affecting touring calendars, audience reach, and the financial viability of music groups that operate in tension with shifting national narratives.