MOSCOW, 22 Apr. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the words of the Latvian pop singer Laima Vaikule about the expediency of the existence of monuments to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War stupidity and barbarism, she wrote about this in her Telegram channel.
“Stupidity, of course, is impossible. This can be blurted out only from sheer ignorance and inhuman malice. Or on purpose,” the diplomat said.
In her opinion, such statements speak of a “new record of inadequacy” on the part of the artist. The diplomat recalled that the word «monument» comes from «memory» and not «artistic value.» Those who demolished monuments were always called barbarians, Zakharova added.
Only a person with «atrophied artistic taste» can say such things about monuments to the liberators from the Nazi invaders, important symbols for millions of people.
Earlier, Laima Vaikule stated on her YouTube channel that monuments to soldiers of the Great Patriotic War have no artistic value. Also, in her opinion, Russia privatized Victory Day and the Russian language.
Last year, Vaikule publicly opposed the special operation in Ukraine and stopped giving concerts in Russia. After that, State Duma deputy Dmitry Kuznetsov called for the singer to be banned from entering the country.