Festival in Moldova, and the Russian Foreign Ministry “was offended”. Israeli musicians had to apologize for performing “Katyusha” – “we consider this song Israeli” (video)

Israeli artists have realized that not many countries still “respect” fans of the “we can repeat” theme…

“We apologize… Without any intent… Once again, we express our apologies…”

On March 2, 2025, at the annual “Mărțișor” festival in Chișinău (Moldova), the Soviet song “Katyusha” was performed at the Palace of the Republic. After the concert, the musicians from the Israeli orchestra Klezmer Band Moldova apologized for this.

They explained that they “migrated” from Moldova to Israel 35 years ago. “There, this song is considered Israeli…”.

Moldovan social media users accused them of “Russian propaganda.”

In Moldova, any connection with Soviet culture is perceived as Russian propaganda, especially against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.

Russia’s toxicity in Eastern Europe is off the charts because its aggression has destroyed trust in any form of Russian cultural or historical identity. “Katyusha” is associated with the Soviet army, which means that for Moldovan society, this song symbolizes the aggressor state.

The Philharmonic and musicians apologized, but their justification that “in Israel, this song is considered Israeli” appeared unconvincing. The public and cultural figures harshly condemned the performance, emphasizing that Soviet music is unacceptable. This incident became a reputational blow for the performers and festival organizers.

According to open sources, Klezmer Band Moldova is a musical ensemble performing “energetic and expressive” klezmer music. The group was founded in 1995 in Israel by two musicians – violinist Alex Moldavski and accordionist Roman Broitman, both originally from Moldova.

As stated, “thanks to its vibrant style and virtuoso performance,” Klezmer Band Moldova “has gained recognition on international stages.” The group performed at the Safed Klezmer Festival, the International Jewish Music Festival in Düsseldorf, and at numerous events organized by the Jewish diaspora in Israel.

“The incident left us speechless.” The Philharmonic on the performance of “Katyusha” at the “Mărțișor” festival

The Sergei Lunkevich National Philharmonic officially apologized for the performance of “Katyusha” at the “Mărțișor” festival at the Palace of the Republic. According to the Philharmonic, “the artists performed a piece from the Soviet military repertoire, which was not originally in the program.”

“With regret, we note the incident that occurred at the concert on March 2, which left us, the organizers, and the audience speechless. We gladly accepted the application for participation from klezmer music performers at the ‘Mărțișor’ festival, a genre that is appreciated and loved in Moldova.

Unfortunately, the artists performed a song from the Soviet military repertoire that was not initially in the program. We regret what happened and apologize to the audience present at the concert,” stated the Philharmonic in a statement published on Facebook.

The Russian Foreign Ministry, through Zakharova, called “the need to apologize” in Moldova for the song “Katyusha” a “disgrace.”

Russian propaganda “reacted,” and there is no point in retelling it — everything is clear. The only thing worth noting is a post by the star of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.

Analysis of Russia’s reaction to the “Katyusha” controversy in Moldova

• Distortion of concepts and historical manipulation. Russia presents the incident not as a political reaction to the toxicity of Russian culture but as an attack on the memory of World War II.
• Emotional manipulation. Protest against Russian propaganda is equated with the banning of remembrance of the Holocaust, the “Buchenwald Alarm Bell,” and Anne Frank’s Diary.
• Exploitation of Jewish history. Russia uses the Jewish origin of composer Matvei Blanter to portray the situation as an attack on “historical memory.”
• Ignoring anti-Semitism. Moscow tries to hide behind the Holocaust while simultaneously supporting anti-Semitic policies and collaborating with terrorists.

Russia can complain all it wants, but in the free world, Soviet symbols are no longer associated with the fight for justice — now they are just a reminder of Moscow’s colonial past and imperial ambitions.

Source: NAnews – News from Israel.