Earlier this week opera diva Anna Netrebko made a donation to an opera house in Donetsk, but the donation has landed her in the political hot seat as the singer was pictured with a flag used by some separatist groups.
Netrebko made the donation Sunday, Dec. 7, in St. Petersburg, handing over 1 million rubles to Oleg Tsarov, a politician who, according to The New York Times, hopes to unite Donetsk with another separatist region. It was ensured, also, that Tsarov would be able to get the check to its intended destination.
But the singer was caught off-guard when the politician asked her to hold a flag and pose for a picture — which then circulated on Twitter with the caption "Anna Netrebko has taken up the flag of Novorossiya!"
It was said by the soprano from the initial release that the donation was made specifically for art's sake and not to be confused with any kind of political agency. That, nonetheless, has not removed her from being inundated with political philosophy.
While she may not have meant to speak out, the singer, on another note, will return to the Metropolitan Opera in January for a production of Tchaikovsky's Iolanta conducted by Valery Gergiev. Hopefully, the Met Opera can catch a break with the protests before then, though.
For now, we have her below:
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