The Brutal Battle of Soft Powers: Staging Russia, Silencing Ukraine? The Operatic Skandal in Wiesbaden

Abstract This article investigates the asymmetrical landscape of cultural diplomacy during Russia’s war against Ukraine through a close analysis of the situation around 2023 Wiesbaden (Germany) performance of soprano Anna Netrebko – an originally Russian artist long associated with the Kremlin. The case sparked a multilayered public conflict involving Ukrainian diaspora activists, musicians, legal institutions, and international observers. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with Ukrainian musicians and activists involved in the protest, I examine how the Ukrainian diaspora mobilized music as a diplomatic tool of resistance – organizing demonstrations, symbolic performances, and advocacy efforts to challenge Netrebko’s appearance. Crucially, I analyze the theater’s attempt to balance Netrebko’s presence by inviting a Ukrainian ensemble – the Taras Shevchenko State Theater in Kharkiv - to perform during the same festival, which was later replaced by another Russian protest-band Pussy Riot. The incident also triggered a cascade of lawsuits between Ukrainian protesters and Netrebko’s conductor, which brought the matter into legal and international arenas. The article further explores how institutions like the State of Hesse and the City of Wiesbaden initially sought to block Netrebko’s appearance, citing ethical concerns, only to be overruled by the theater administration – revealing the deep tension between political accountability and cultural autonomy. Importantly, the Netrebko case is representative of a broader pattern in which Russia maintains or expands its cultural influence on major Western stages, despite international sanctions. In this context, the article sheds light on how cultural programming becomes a battleground for competing narratives of legitimacy, memory, and belonging. It argues that Ukrainian musical resistance is not only a form of cultural expression but also an active force in shaping international public opinion and exposing the ideological functions of institutional neutrality.