London to Host Pro-Putin Rapper Instasamka

London Venue Details and Tour Schedule

The upcoming appearance is advertised on Eventbrite as an “exclusive club show” running from 11 pm until 4:30 am at the Emerald Theatre, located at 8 Victoria Embankment in central London. Promotional material shared via Instagram by the artist outlines the November 14 date, while her official website positions the London stop within her broader 2026–2027 world tour.

Political Rhetoric, Pro-Kremlin Tracks, and Public Statements

Instasamka’s upcoming performance follows years of public statements and musical releases aligned with Russian state positions. Long before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Yeropkina explicitly praised Russian leader Vladimir Putin in her song “Bless,” calling him “the best president” and presenting the label as a “fact.” As the war continued into its third year, she collaborated with the Russian band Leningrad in November 2024 to release “Russians Forward,” a track built around the repeated chant “Russians, forward.”

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During the same period, she released “Pumping Oil,” a track depicting wealthy Russians traveling to Courchevel in business class. Yeropkina later told Russian journalist Ksenia Sobchak that she conceived the song as “a gift to Russia,” adding, “Our country—we pump oil. We pump the world.” Her political alignment sharpened further in July 2025, when she publicly attacked fellow performers Dora and Maybe Baby, accusing them of betraying Russia and spreading harmful ideas. Yeropkina took issue with Dora’s association with rapper Face—who left Russia after condemning the invasion—and Ukrainian musician Yurii Kaplan, who supported Ukraine.

Questioning why artists she deemed hostile to Russia were allowed to perform in Russian cities and appear on state-controlled Channel One, Yeropkina wrote, “Today they perform for Russian people, for our youth,” and asked, “What are you doing here?” Shortly after, she appeared at Russia’s Public Chamber, a state-established consultative body, to discuss proposals concerning children and online content. These shifts followed earlier periods in which the singer faced pressure and concert cancellations from Russia’s domestic censorship apparatus.

International Repercussions and Precedents

The performer’s public positioning has already triggered regulatory action outside of Russia. In April 2023, then-Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs placed Instasamka on Latvia’s list of undesirable persons, enforcing an indefinite entry ban that forced the cancellation of a planned performance in Riga. Separately, unverified claims circulating at the time that Yeropkina had donated 900,000 rubles—about $12,000—to the Russian military were later shown to be unsubstantiated, and the singer publicly denied making any such contribution.

The controversy surrounding her London booking mirrors wider debates across European cultural venues. In 2025, Russian soprano Anna Netrebko—frequently characterized by critics as “Putin’s diva”—continued performing at London’s publicly funded Royal Opera House. Those appearances drew protests from Ukrainian diplomats and activists who accused European venues of normalizing Kremlin-linked cultural figures during the ongoing war.

Publicity Stunts and Future Outlook

Uncertainty surrounding Instasamka’s career moves has occasionally been fueled by marketing strategies. Prior to announcing her London date, the singer declared she was leaving the Russian music market, recording songs in English, and pursuing an international career. One day later, she admitted the announcement was a publicity stunt intended to generate attention for a new release. “I’m not going anywhere,” she stated, confirming she would continue making music for her primary audience.

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