Potap and Nastia Kamenskikh made a loud return to the stage for the first time after reuniting their duet, however, their performance in Jurmala, Latvia sparked a wave of criticism. The artists sang and communicated in Russian, as well as joked about collecting money for costumes. This is reported by TSN.
Potap and Nastia's performance in Jurmala was in Russian
The duet performed on July 26 at the festival of Latvian singer Laima Vaikule. During the concert, Potap and Kamenskikh performed songs in Russian and addressed the audience in the same language.
A specific episode sparked discussions on social media. Potap went down to the audience and jokingly asked for the money back that people had caught during the performance. He explained this by saying they needed to buy new costumes before the concerts in the USA.
«We just have concerts again, performances again, we need new costumes,» said the artist from the stage.
Potap addressed Alla Pugacheva and Maxim Galkin
In the audience were Russian artists Alla Pugacheva and Maxim Galkin. Potap addressed them from the stage, giving a few compliments to Pugacheva and her husband.
In particular, he compared Alla Pugacheva to her daughter Kristina Orbakaite, and referred to Maxim Galkin as «the crush of all Instagram.» Judging by the video, Pugacheva's reaction to this segment was restrained.
Why the duet's performance caused outrage
The key reason for the negative reaction was not only the Russian language on stage. According to TSN, during the performance, Potap and Nastia did not mention Ukraine, where a full-scale war is ongoing between Russia and the Ukrainian people.
For the Ukrainian audience, public performances abroad are often seen as an opportunity to remind the world about the war and support the country. Therefore, the artists' behavior at the festival in Jurmala became a subject of sharp discussions.
It is worth noting that the 77-year-old singer Alla Pugacheva recently appeared in Jurmala (Latvia) with a cane after a fall that resulted in a broken leg and hip joint.