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New Pro-Putin Song Gets Panned Online


Dressed in the colors of the Russian flag, Mashani's musical ode to President Vladimir Putin has already garnered tens of thousands of views on YouTube.
Dressed in the colors of the Russian flag, Mashani's musical ode to President Vladimir Putin has already garnered tens of thousands of views on YouTube.

"My Putin, my darling Putin, take me away with you, I want to be with you."

So goes the refrain of the latest song waxing lyrical about Russia's president.

"My Putin," performed by a young Siberian singer known by her stage name Mashani, has already received tens of thousands of hits since being posted online on January 28.

Viewers, however, are not impressed.

The video has sparked of barrage of disparaging comments, with the vast majority of viewers "disliking" the clip and slamming both its political message and its tacky production.

In the clip, Mashani, who sings in a field wearing a dress evoking the Russian flag, praises Putin for "reclaiming" Crimea, entreats him to "revive" the Soviet Union, and calls on Russians to "run after him because he's Putin."

The video also shows her trapped amid the ruins of an abandoned home, dressed in the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

"I would like to remind our dear Ukrainian citizens that the opinions of the singer may not reflect the opinions of all Russians" reads one comment.

"Excuse me for a moment, I'm feeling sick," another viewer wrote.

WATCH: Mashani sings My Putin

Mashani has already been interviewed by Zvezda, a national television channel run by the Russian Defense Ministry.

Despite her apparent crush on the president -- the clip shows her poring over photos of Putin and drawing his portrait -- Mashani says that "singing only about love is boring."

"The song supports the president and expresses my views as a citizen," she told Zvezda. "Our president is the only person who can help Ukraine."

She added that, apart from Russia, "no one in the world needs Ukraine."

Mashani is a latecomer to the pro-Putin pop scene.

One of the first songs idolizing the Russian leader was "I Want A Man Like Putin," a 2002 hit by the previously unknown girl band Singing Together.

The lyrics described a woman who dreams of dumping her boorish boyfriend for a man "full of strength" like Putin.

In 2012, just weeks before presidential elections, another music video heaping praise on Putin went viral. The song, performed by a Tajik immigrant, described Putin as a "godsend."

Two African rappers in Russia also gained notoriety last year with their ambiguously titled song "Go Hard Like Vladimir Putin."

Children are not exempt from the trend. This sugary ode to Putin sung by small children was released for his birthday in October 2014.

-- Claire Bigg

About This Blog

Written by RFE/RL editors and correspondents, Transmission serves up news, comment, and the odd silly dictator story. While our primary concern is with foreign policy, Transmission is also a place for the ideas -- some serious, some irreverent -- that bubble up from our bureaus. The name recognizes RFE/RL's role as a surrogate broadcaster to places without free media. You can write us at transmission+rferl.org

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