On the last night of 2013, Russians who turned on the television watched the New Year's show on the Rossiya channel, presented by two comedians: the Russian Maxim Galkin and the Ukrainian Volodimir Zelensky.. That's the night of musical numbers and easy jokes.. Galkin and Zelensky, for some reason, ended up joking about the war. As if Christmas were “a battle.”

Nine years later, the war is real. Zelensky is the president of the attacked country. Galkin is a Russian comedian in exile. Being against the invasion of Ukraine has harmed many artistic careers in Russia. But Moscow's punishing tenacity is such that it is even difficult to seek refuge in the large Russian neighborhood.. For months Galkin has been repeatedly denied permission to perform in Kazakhstan.. He denounces that the Kazakh authorities, under pressure from Moscow, make all kinds of excuses so that he cannot take his shows there.

Jewish on his mother's side, Galkin was the host of the Russian version of the show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. Since 2016 he has presented a children's talent show on television. Since 2001, Galkin has been romantically involved with the famous Russian singer Alla Pugacheva, also critical of the war.

Last year he accused Russian authorities of hypocrisy and lies regarding the war crimes Russia has committed by firing rockets into the Ukrainian city of Odessa, the siege and destruction of Mariupol, and the Bucha atrocities.. He had already criticized the Russian gay propaganda law, comparing it to a “witch hunt”. But it was not until he criticized the war that some spokespersons from the war sector, such as the head of the foreign propaganda channel RT, Margarita Simonyan, put doubts about his heterosexuality and the possibility that his marriage was a farce on the table.

Kazakhstan, which has cooled somewhat its relationship with Moscow, continues to fear a clash with the Kremlin. “I am so afraid of the authorities of Kazakhstan that they are very afraid to celebrate my performances. “At this moment there is a tacit ban on holding my concerts,” Galkin told his fans.. After complaints from fans, it was announced that some shows would be allowed: the concerts would finally be held on October 8 in Astana and October 9 in Almaty.

But on September 30, specialists from the Department of Emergency Situations urgently visited the Palace of the Republic in Almaty, and discovered that the building's stage was suffering from “technical problems” and it would be impossible to perform on it until October 15.. The other location, the Kazakhstan Central Concert Hall, will be closed from October 4 to 10 because utility workers decided to change water pipes in the area.

Galkin and other exiles have long since begun introducing more and more political jokes.. This has led the Kazakh authorities to ban performances by artists critical of the Kremlin.

Radio Liberty, citing government sources, reported that the Russian ambassador to Kazakhstan could be behind the tacit ban on Galkin's concerts, something that Kazakhstan denied.. But allowing the concert would greatly ruin relations with Moscow. Vladimir Putin is scheduled to fly to Kazakhstan in the fall, and a Kremlin opponent's speech before the Russian leader's arrival could be seen as a challenge.