During a New York appearance, comedian Maxim Galkin—often described in reports as a Russian figure linked to foreign agent discussions—raised questions about his Israeli citizenship and why certain personal details should remain private. A clip from the performance circulated via Mash on its Telegram channel, highlighting his remarks. The segment suggested he was urging discretion around his identity and international travel.
Galkin asserted that using his Israeli passport had blocked entry to sixteen states, though he did not specify which countries. He then described switching to a Cypriot passport to continue traveling. He also claimed that Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry asking for a ban on his entry ahead of a planned show in that country.
As reported by Mash, during the performance security guards ensured the proceedings were not filmed, keeping cameras and audience reactions away from the stage.
Additionally, the entertainer spoke about conversations with Ukrainian manufacturers to discuss arrangements for a particular performance. The details were not fully disclosed, but the report notes discussions about the production process.
In early September, Galkin admitted that sharing his exact location is difficult due to frequent world travel. He described moving between the United States, Latvia, Israel, and Cyprus as part of his routine, making precise location tracking challenging.
A former director tied to the pop icon Kirkorov offered clarification about the reported multi-million dollar fee for Galkin, suggesting that the compensation reflected high-profile live appearances rather than any unusual terms.