Poke This

Iconic rocker Boris Grebenshchikov likely knew what would happen when he recently posed with Mikheil Saakashvili in Odessa, Ukraine – a region the former Georgian president (and bête noire of the Kremlin) heads and is trying to cleanse of corruption.

Merely by standing alongside Saakashvili, who promptly posted the image on Facebook, the singer-songwriter, known to millions as simply “BG,” joined a growing class of political pariahs.

Russian officialdom now keeps a watchful eye on the country’s musical landscape, alert for any perceived “treachery.” Legendary guitarist Andrei Makarevich has already been shunned for his pro-Ukraine views, as has 90s phenomenon Zemfira Ramazanova, after she unfurled a Ukrainian flag at a concert.