Apple Music partially restores sanctioned Russian artists
Apple Music streaming service has restored profiles with biographies of some of the most popular Russian artists, who were blocked after being sanctioned by the EU as part of curbs against Moscow over the Ukraine conflict.
Despite the profiles of such pop-stars as Shaman, Polina Gagarina and others being brought back, their music catalogs still remain inaccessible to users, Russian media reported on Sunday.
Brussels sanctioned numerous Russian musicians after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, accusing them of performing patriotic songs and supporting the country’s armed forces. This led to the profiles of the restricted artists being removed by Apple Music and Spotify.
Shaman, whose real name is Yaroslav Dronov, and Gagarina were blacklisted as part of EU’s ninth sanctions package against Moscow in June 2024.
The bloc explained its decision by saying that Shaman has “repeatedly participated in Kremlin-organized concerts including the Kremlin’s anniversary event for that war,” while also performing “as part of troop entertainment events for the Russian Armed Forces.”
According to the EU, Gagarina, who finished second in the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest with her song ‘A Million Voices’, has also been “generating significant revenue” from concerts sponsored by the Russian authorities.
Shaman, who made a name for himself with his 2022 hit ‘Ya russkiy’ (I am Russian), will represent his country at the 2025 Intervision Song Contest.
The a Soviet-era event, which had been revived by Russia as an alternative to Eurovision, is scheduled to take place in Moscow in September, gathering musicians from two dozen nations, including China, Saudi Arabia, Columbia, Serbia, South Africa and others.
