Pro-Putin Serbian filmmaker and musician Emir Kusturica has been banned from entering Ukraine to perform at a concert in Kyiv in honor of the millennium anniversary of the death of Prince Volodymyr the Great of Kyivan Rus.
The Security Service of Ukraine stated that the decision to impose the ban was made after the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine sent a petition against Kusturica to law enforcement authorities. On July 16, the Palace of Sports announced that the concert featuring Emir had been canceled.
Kusturica was scheduled to perform at an international charity concert in Kyiv at the Palace of Sports, the promotional poster of which proclaimed: 'Love saves the world.' Ukrainian rock bands 'Brothers Karamazov' and 'Tabula Rasa' were also intended to perform at this event.
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However, Kusturica faced the anger of the Ukrainian public due to his negative statements about the Ukrainian revolution and his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In the past, Emir Kusturica has publicly endorsed Putin's policies regarding eastern Ukraine and stated that he believes Russia should protect ethnic Russians living in Ukraine.
Ukrainians still remember the well-known director's previous statements, including about the alleged Nazis on Maidan Nezalezhnosti: 'I saw a Nazi celebrating the anniversary of the death of another,' Kusturica once stated.
The news that Emir Kusturica, who is also a famous musician, would play at a concert in Kyiv sparked a heated discussion among Ukrainians, some even referred to it as a deliberate provocation. Many Ukrainian Facebook users posted their outrage on the social network.
'I do not understand why he is allowed to come', wrote one user. Another urged Ukraine to replace Kusturica with another performer: 'Can't we invite any of our own Ukrainian musicians to perform?'
The Serbian director, in turn, criticized the Ukrainian authorities for their decision to cancel his performance in the capital. He is convinced that the entry ban is a manifestation of propaganda and a struggle against dissent.
The concert featuring Kusturica was supposed to become one of a series of events held in honor of Prince Volodymyr the Great. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree to organize the celebration of the millennium anniversary of Prince Volodymyr's death, which coincides this year with events dedicated to the Day of Baptism of Kyivan Rus.