Singer Alexei Kortnev has been barred from performing at a music weekend project in Udmurtia, according to statements from the event organizer, Alexander Smakotin. The incident involved the Uchuchudu Music Weekend, a local festival planned to feature a lineup that included Kortnev. The scheduled date for Kortnev’s appearance was April 9, with the planned venue the Tchaikovsky Museum in Votkinsk. However, the organizer said the museum’s management intervened by canceling the performance with Kortnev on the day of the event.
Smakotin explained that the museum director informed him that Kortnev was being sought by authorities and labeled as a foreign agent. The director reportedly advised that activities involving Kortnev should not take place within the museum’s premises. This claim, described by Smakotin as a directive from the museum leadership, led to the abrupt halt of the concert plan.
The organizer noted that Kortnev had attempted to clarify that he is not a foreign agent and that formal arrangements for the event had already been made. Despite these efforts, the cancellation stood, and the organizers could not proceed with the performance as planned. The situation left organizers without a formal opportunity to adjust and continue with the program as scheduled.
There has been no public statement from Kortnev regarding the cancellation of the appearance at this time. The episode follows reports that Kortnev was previously detained by police in Novosibirsk, a development that had circulated in media coverage prior to the planned Udmurtia event. The current sequence raises questions about the accessibility of performances for artists in the region and the mechanisms through which event permissions are reviewed and communicated to organizers and venues.
Observers note that tensions between performers and local authorities can create abrupt disruptions to cultural programming. In this case, the decision appears to have been driven by a directive from a venue management level, which can have wide-reaching implications for festival planning, artists’ careers, and audience access to live music experiences in the area. As organizers navigate the fallout, they may need to consider alternative dates, venues, or artists to preserve the festival’s lineup and schedule. The broader context includes ongoing discussions about performance rights, venue governance, and the role of official designations in shaping who may perform in cultural spaces. The incident underscores the importance of transparent communication between organizers, venues, and authorities to minimize sudden cancellations and to maintain trust with audiences who look forward to live events as a key cultural experience.