On Thursday night, the Russian government promoted a concert by the Turetski Choir, one of the most traditional musical ensembles in the country, at the Simón Bolívar auditorium, at the Latin America Memorial in São Paulo. The show had financial and logistical support from the Moscow government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, in an act of political propaganda in the midst of the Ukrainian War. Just before the concert began, Russia's consul general in São Paulo, Vladimir Tokmakov, denied the existence of a local conflict and claimed that a special operation was under way, echoing the Kremlin's narrative.
Tokmakov also denied that the concert was political propaganda. He stressed that the show seeks to promote Russian culture. "It is impossible to cancel our culture, because Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, for example, belong to the world," he said. According to the consul general, Russia is made up of many nations, including Ukraine. "It was a totally artificial split," he said. Created 30 years ago, the Turetski Choir drew crowds in the main capitals of Western Europe until the beginning of the war, when concerts were canceled across the continent. "That's the Europeans' problem. Until yesterday, they were cheering us on," Tokmakov said.
Finally, Tokmakov stated that President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) has always declared his interest in cooperating with Russia, making a point of highlighting the history of friendship between the countries.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon