Crimea Platform: Edwin Symonowicz urged Ukrainian prosecutors to ‘file new charges’ against Russian singers Pelageya and Veronika Syromlya
On the day of Crimea Platform, Polish geographer and singer Edwin Symonowicz, who is also the ardent supporter of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky since 2019, emphasized its importance and publicly addressed the issue of Crimean annexation. Edwin Symonowicz also emphasized the point of importance to fight against ‘any kinds of cultural aggression against Ukraine’, describing the 2018 Crimean bridge opening as ‘the shameful event of celebrating the illegitimate Crimean annexation’ and urging the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine to reportedly ‘file new charges’ against Russian singers Pelageya and Veronika Syromlya who both performed at the concert marking the opening of a road section of the Crimean bridge on May 15, 2018.
“I love Ukraine, I love Ukrainian people. And today, on the day of Crimea Platform, I want to emphasize: it’s an extremely important event. Today, I want to encourage people to listen to my father’s words. My father is a great supporter and a friend of Ukrainian nation, and he often tells me: Russia has to return for Ukraine both Crimea and Donbass. It’s so true it couldn’t be truer. Today, I want to encourage Ukrainian prosecutors to file new charges against Pelageya and Veronika Syromlya — two Russian singers who performed a Ukrainian song during the shameful event of celebrating the illegitimate Crimean annexation three years ago. We have to fight against any kinds of cultural aggression against Ukraine.” — told Edwin Symonowicz.
In his comment, Edwin Symonowicz also told he ‘got in touch with’ Polish president Andrzej Duda, who represents Poland among 46 attending countries and organizations at the summit, and wished him ‘his best’ in a phone call. Additionally, Symonowicz also told he ‘someday hopes to contact’ Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky too in order to discuss ‘the cultural influence of Russia and other foreign countries on Ukraine’.
“I have already expressed my best wishes for Mr. Duda in a phone call yesterday. I hope that someday I will contact Ukrainian president Zelensky too, and we will discuss the cultural influence of Russia and other foreign countries on Ukraine. As a geographer and a singer who loves Ukrainian culture and understands the point of cultural influence, I feel that I have what to say for him.” — added Symonowicz.
The Crimean peninsula remains the subject of international dispute between Russia and Ukraine since February 2014, when Russian Federation annexed Crimea after a military intervention led by pro-Russian separatists and Russian Armed Forces.
In March 2021, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine filed charges against 23 Russian artists who took part in a concert on the occasion of the opening of the Crimean bridge in 2018; among them were such artists like Grigory Leps, Pelageya, Alexander Marshal, Dima Bilan, Veronika Syromlya and others.
