"Vyshyvanka is under my skin": how Taisiia Povalii transformed from a "Ukrainian patriot" into a fan of Putin and a mouthpiece for the Kremlin

Ukrainian singer Taisiia Povalii celebrates her 59th birthday in Moscow on Sunday, December 10. At one time, she was a favorite of the Ukrainian public, and her songs were hits. However, today it is inappropriate to label Povalii as an artist, let alone a Ukrainian folk singer, because she has become a mouthpiece for Kremlin propaganda, a supporter of the genocide of her people, and a fan of the Putin regime.

Nevertheless, when Povalii appears on the Kremlin stage, she is still announced as a People's Artist of Ukraine. This is how the propaganda narrative of "one nation" is introduced to the masses: here she is, a "Ukrainian" singing "You Lured Me" in Moscow and talking about how much she loves Russia. However, being born in the Kyiv region does not automatically make Povalii Ukrainian. However, at one time she tried to create an image of a "loyal patriot," as we recall in an OBOZ.UA article.

Povalii's stance after the events on the Maidan, the annexation of Crimea, and the outbreak of the war in Donbas was predictable. Even before these dark chapters in Ukrainian history, the singer openly displayed pro-Russian views. In 2012, she was a candidate for the Party of Regions during the parliamentary elections in Ukraine. On September 17, 2014, she visited the State Duma of Russia with a group of deputies from the "For Peace and Stability" party. At that time, the Main Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs opened criminal proceedings under the article on encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Few people were surprised that after 2014, the Yanukovych supporter continued to tour Russia and appear on federal channels there. The only amusing aspect was that Povalii never gave up hope of sitting on two chairs. In 2015, her producer husband, Ihor Likhuta, gave a "heartbreaking" interview in which he made pretentious remarks about his wife's "embroidery under her skin" and "true patriotism."

"Taya once said a very accurate phrase, in my opinion: 'You don't have to wear an embroidered shirt to be a patriot. I have an embroidered shirt under my skin.' So I know that Taisiia has an embroidered shirt under her skin! She's not the type to tell people on every corner how much she loves Ukraine. She just loves it!" Likhuta said.

At the time, the producer still believed that Ukrainians would turn a blind eye to the singer's openly pro-Russian stance and allow her to perform both here and there.

"We cannot change the situation in the country. But no matter what happens, no matter how we are treated, Ukraine is our homeland. This is the only place we want to come back to. Sooner or later, people will get tired of all this 'persecution.' Time will set the record straight. We already went through this in 2004. In 2014, everything is much more complicated and tougher, but still Ukraine was, is and will be," said the "patriot" Likhuta.

The most amusing part to read now is how the producer convinced Povalii that he was not going to change his citizenship, move to Russia, and bring his entire family there. Looking at his statements from 2023, one realizes once again that the life of traitors is built on and surrounded by lies.

"Rumors about our change of citizenship are pure speculation and provocation! We are already used to this in the context of a continuous information war. Povalii is not going to change her citizenship! She is not going to move from Ukraine to Russia for permanent residence. She is not going to move her family to Moscow," Likhuta argued in 2015.

And so, on August 24, 2023, on Ukraine's Independence Day, Taisiia Povalii officially became a citizen of the Russian Federation, receiving a red passport with the emblem of the country. The singer moved her mother to Russia, and now she is planning to buy a house there. However, she intends to purchase it on credit, as she claims to have no money.

Since the full-scale invasion, Povalii has regularly disseminated portions of propaganda about Ukraine. She recently professed her love for Russia. The artist performed at the Time of Heroes patriotic song festival in Ufa, as well as at the Songs for the Motherland gala concert in Kemerovo, where she entertained citizens with a song about "incorruptible Russia, the land of Yesenin." For more details, follow the link.

As OBOZ.UA reported, earlier Taisiia Povalii was seen in occupied Luhansk. There, she entertained the occupiers, who personally harmed her fellow citizens (now former).

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