After the outbreak of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the world severed cultural and political ties with Moscow. Russian artists found themselves isolated, their concerts canceled, and their visas revoked. Many of them were put on sanctions lists.
Against this background, Cyprus, a member state of the European Union, remains inexplicably tolerant of the Russian cultural presence and has shown sympathy for Russian artists, which is evident not only in the cultural sphere but also in its broader relations with Russia. While other EU countries have closed access to Russian cultural figures, the island continues to see a growing number of concerts and events featuring Russian artists, most of whom support Putin’s regime.
Cyprus has become a kind of cultural springboard for Russian performers who openly support Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, hundreds of artists who do not hide their commitment to the Kremlin’s policy have held concerts here. These performers actively participate in propaganda events, bringing with them not only music but also anti-European narratives, Russian state propaganda, and the Kremlin’s fascist ideology.
The beginning of Russian cultural penetration into Cyprus
The roots of this phenomenon go back to the mid-1990s when concert agencies working with Russian artists began to appear in Cyprus. This is due to the presence of a large Russian-speaking diaspora on the island, which today numbers about 120 thousand people. Most of these people are patriots of Russia, and support Putin’s criminal policy and the war in Ukraine.
Many of these agencies have clear ties to the Russian authorities and intelligence services, which leaves no doubt about their true goals.
With the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and the closure of European stages to Russian artists, Cyprus has become one of the few open destinations for them. This cultural flow can be seen as a continuation of the Kremlin’s political tactic of methodically increasing penetration into the cultural space of Europe under the guise of art. The massive influx of Russian performers can be called a «cultural meat assault,» a tactic similar to the Russian army’s approach on the Ukrainian front. Most of these artists support the war in Ukraine and Putin’s policies and their concerts in Cyprus are organized by agencies closely linked to the Russian security services.
Concert agencies controlled by the Kremlin
Four companies stand out among such agencies — ARK PRODUCTIONS, PREMIERE MEDIA, MMI CONCERT AGENCY LTD and MAKE LOVE SHOW. ARK PRODUCTION and PREMIERE MEDIA, owned by Russian citizen Angelina Arsenovna Ter-Oganova, deserve special attention. Ter-Oganova is the daughter of KGB Colonel Arsen Aramovich Ter-Oganov (Ter-Oganyan), a graduate of Moscow State University and the FSB Academy, who is openly proud of her involvement with the Russian intelligence services.
In Cyprus, Ter-Oganova quickly became a prominent figure in the Russian embassy and regularly attended its events. She actively supports Putin’s policies and the war against Ukraine and the West, which is reflected in the activities of her companies, which have brought dozens of artists to Cyprus who openly support the regime. Among them are Dmitry Pevtsov, the Moral Codex group, and the Hooligans duo.
In addition, ARK PRODUCTION and PREMIERE MEDIA organize numerous events in cooperation with the Russian Embassy and the Russian Cultural Center aimed at promoting Russian culture in Cyprus. One example of such projects is the series of concerts to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Sergei Rachmaninoff, where it is explicitly stated that the events are organized with the participation of the Russian Embassy.
Ter-Oganova was the first to bring to Cyprus the well-known Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Pozner, who will come to the island again in November 2024. Pozner, as a key figure in the Kremlin’s information war, is meant to maintain patriotic sentiments among the Russian-speaking diaspora in Cyprus.
The paradox of anti-war artists
It is noteworthy that under the aegis of Ter-Oganova’s agencies not only Kremlin supporters perform, but also artists who declare their opposition to the Putin regime. For example, on December 31, the group BI-2, known for its anti-war stance and criticism of Putin’s regime, will perform on the island. Despite numerous data on Ter-Oganova’s ties to the Kremlin and special services, the musicians have found it possible to cooperate with her. This raises questions about the moral and ethical principles of such artists who, despite their statements, agree to cooperate with obvious agents of the Russian security services.
MMI: more than just concerts
The MMI concert agency is owned by Sergei Muradov, son of Georgy Muradov, former Russian ambassador to Cyprus and deputy chairman of the occupation government of Crimea, which is under EU sanctions. Sergei Muradov graduated from the Faculty of International Journalism at MGIMO, which in itself already indicates his involvement in Russian intelligence. He further completed a course at the Academy of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), which leaves no doubt about his true profession.
The main activity of MMI CONCERT AGENCY LTD is the organization of concerts of Western artists of the second echelon, which often do not pay off financially. However, the main purpose of these events is the laundering and legalization of the Muradov family’s money in the West.
In May 2024, the Cypriot company MMI CONCERT AGENCY LTD organized a performance by Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Pozner in Amsterdam, where he broadcast pro-Russian narratives that sparked local protests and a debate in parliament.
The target audience for this speech consisted of Russian-speaking residents of the Netherlands, whom Posner actively influenced with Kremlin narratives and disinformation. His speeches carried direct propaganda aimed at manipulating the opinion of the Russian diaspora in Europe.
There is no doubt that tours such as Posner’s speech in the EU are organized by the Russian authorities to break the information blockade and promote their propaganda. The MMI CONCERT AGENCY LTD is a tool created by Moscow to push through its agents and simulate cultural exchange with the West by circumventing international sanctions and isolation, thus opening another front in the information war.
In October 2022, Muradov organized a concert in Cyprus by singer Zemfira, who, despite her opposition reputation, performed under the auspices of MMI, even though she was well aware of the organizer’s ties to Russian intelligence services.
NCA Cyprus and Russian propaganda
Next on this list is the Make Love Show agency, formerly called NCA Cyprus Limited.
The company was founded by Mikhail Shurygin, a businessman from St. Petersburg, the owner and president of the Russian concert agency NCA (National Concert Academy). NCA Cyprus for several years was the leading company in organizing concerts for the Russian public in Cyprus. In addition, Shurygin worked to disseminate Russian state propaganda on the island.
After the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, Shurygin and the NCA group of companies he owns became involved in justifying military aggression and spreading Kremlin propaganda and disinformation. NCA is embedded in the Kremlin’s propaganda machine and is generously paid for from the Russian budget. One of the sources of funding for the NCA is the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives-PFKI, supervised by the first deputy head of the Russian presidential administration, Sergei Kirienko.
Shurygin brings to Cyprus artists openly supporting Putin and the war in Ukraine, such as Saburov, Butusov, Vakulenko, and Maly, who are on sanctions lists for supporting the war and violating international norms.
Bridge to Europe
Cyprus, despite its EU membership, continues to be one of the few venues in Europe where Russian artists who support the war and Putin’s regime can perform freely. The island has become a kind of bridge to promote Kremlin propaganda into the European space, which raises serious questions about its policy and role in combating Russian aggression.