April 05, 2023

Wanted for a Lullaby


Wanted for a Lullaby
Actor, comedian, and musician Semyon Slepakov. SHOT, Telegram.

Moscow police have threatened comedian Simon Slepakov with administrative arrest and fines after releasing "Kolybelnaya" (Lullaby), an anti-war song about murdered Russian soldiers.

The comedian and musician has in the past used his guitar to mock Russian society's attitudes towards the war, like in the song "Ne vce tak odnoznachno" (Not everything is that simple).

"Kolybelnaya" is written from the perspective of a mother who indoctrinates her three-year-old son into thinking his worst enemies are the "Ukrainian Nazis" and that "Nothing is better than dying on the battlefield." This mother praises her older soldier son but purposefully ignores the crimes he may have committed during the war. On the other hand, she is appalled by her middle son working in IT and living in Europe, calling him a traitor. The song has accumulated more than 2.2 million views on YouTube.

Since releasing "Lullaby" in late January, Slepakov has been watched by authorities. The pro-Kremlin Fund for the Protection of the National and Historic Heritage has asked an investigative committee to examine whether the comedian was guilty of "discrediting the army." The Fund also submitted a request to the Ministry of Justice to label Slepakov as a foreign agent.

The comedian is believed to have been living in Israel since October 2022. 

 

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