In late August, Pugacheva unexpectedly returned to Moscow with her children but without her husband. When a journalist asked her about her plans, she teasingly answered, “I will put things in order. In my head and in your heads.”

On Sept. 18, 2022, she published the Instagram post. Addressing the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, Pugacheva asked it to designate her a “foreign agent” in solidarity with her husband. She added that her husband is “an honest and decent human being, a true and incorruptible Russian patriot who wishes his homeland a flourishing and peaceful life, freedom of speech, and an end to the deaths of our boys for illusory goals that are making our country a pariah and worsening the life of our citizens.”

Reactions ranged from praise for her patriotic bravery to accusations of treason. Several Russian news agencies announced that Pugacheva’s statement discredited the Russian army and that she should be further investigated.

The satirist Mikhail Zhvanetsky once said, “The country knows Putin and Pugacheva, and these two are quite sufficient for the country. Alla dearest! She sang in such a way that everyone repeated her, she lives in such a way that everyone repeats her.”

Time will tell whether Pugacheva’s message against the war will resonate with her millions of devoted fans.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Olga Partan, College of the Holy Cross. If you found it interesting, you could subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Olga Partan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.