Opera singer Vasily Ladiuk's touring schedule includes Italy. On November 10 and 12, 2023 he will perform the opera “Don Carlos” on the stage of the City Theater of Piacenza. Previously Ladiuk performed at La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, opera houses in Belgium, Spain and Japan, but after the outbreak of full-scale war in Ukraine foreign theaters stopped inviting him.
In response to an inquiry by The Insider, the Piacenza Theater stated that Ladiuk was scheduled to perform in the opera “Don Carlos” in 2020, which was before the conflict began. However, Ladiuk had previously performed in annexed Crimea in 2017 and had a meeting with Vladimir Putin, which resulted in him being added to the Ukrainian “kill list” Myrotvorets. “Don Carlos” is a co-production of the Piacenza Theater and theaters in Rimini, Reggio Emilia, and Modena. A Piacenza spokesperson told The Insider she would contact the other theaters by March 20 and provide a more complete answer to the question. Watch this space for updates.
Ladyuk, a prominent figure in Russia's music industry, is commonly referred to as the “Lubyanka Baritone” due to his frequent participation in closed-door events organized by the FSB and FSO. He was awarded the FSB award for “Musical Art” in 2020 for “actively participating in patriotic creative projects and aiding in the spiritual and moral education of security personnel.” Ladyuk performed at the “History Lessons” holiday concert on May 10, 2022, alongside other performers known for supporting the war against Ukraine, such as Oleg Gazmanov, Grigory Leps, Lube, and Stas Mikhailov.
Ladyuk ihas long been sponsored by the Lukoil Charitable Foundation, which is headed by Nelli Alekperova, the wife of Lukoil's owner. Although Lukoil is not currently under European sanctions, the European Parliament is advocating for it to be included. In early February 2023, deputies proposed that it be subject to the same restrictions as Rosatom.