A concert held in memory of Yuri Shatunov featured showman and comedian Alexander Revva, who also made television appearances around the event. This detail comes from mk.ru coverage.
Reports indicate that on February 9, Revva, performing in the persona of Arthur Pirozhkov, sang the song Silly Snowflakes. The appearance sparked dissatisfaction among Russian audiences, with some viewers calling for Revva to be removed from the exhibition. Activist Vitaly Borodin argued that people did not want to see Revva on television due to his stance on the current events in Ukraine.
Borodin noted that Revva’s position at the outset of the conflict differed from where it stood later, and he suggested that a shift in financial circumstances may have influenced the comedian to alter his public stance. This shift was framed by Borodin as a reaction to a potential loss of income.
There were reports at the end of January 2023 that Revva and his family left Russia. Rumors attributed the emigration to a boycott affecting television exposure. The absence from national broadcasts was linked to the broader media response to his political comments.
On January 10, Alexandra Revva was slated to perform at a New Year’s program during From Song of the Year, but her segment was not aired. The reasons behind this cancellation were not publicly disclosed. The incident added to ongoing discussions about audience expectations and media choices regarding performers with controversial positions.
Earlier, Borodin had claimed that Orbakaite’s concert was canceled at her own request, a statement that contributed to the surrounding narrative about event scheduling and performers’ preferences in response to public sentiment.