Trouble for Belarusian Z-band Skynet: Soloist complains that authorities are not letting them on stage
Once, the rock band Skynet sang in Belarusian — now it dedicates songs to the war. But despite demonstrative support for Lukashenka and Putin, it gradually remains on the sidelines of Belarusian pop music.
The band's soloist Ivan Ponomarev complained on Threads that he cannot understand the situation in the music sphere in Belarus:
"First, we were deprived of our individual entrepreneurship status, then we were told to create a limited liability company, after which a register was created, without being included in which you have no right to organize your own concert. And getting there is almost impossible. At least we tried. Is this support for domestic artists or a created monopoly where there are no outsiders?"
The situation is telling, as Skynet supports Lukashenka, as well as Putin and the war he declared.
Although just a few years ago, their work was different. For example, in 2019, Skynet released their first Belarusian-language song "Kakhanaya" (Beloved).
About this composition, Ponomarev later wrote that when the band first performed it at a corporate event, they had to sing "Kakhanaya" seven times in a row — it was so popular with the audience. Later, they opened their concerts in Germany and the UK with this song — and were very proud of those concerts in the West. As well as the fact that they had to perform as an opening act for "Bi-2" and "Okean Elzy" (bands, for performing whose hits in modern Belarus one can even end up behind bars).
And after the events of 2020, Ivan Ponomarev (he is the only one remaining from the original lineup) criticized "Western values" and "traitor artists" in an interview with propagandist Lyudmila Gladkaya.
Ponomarev perceived Russia's attack on Ukraine as an opportunity to gain popularity on the Russian stage. He began to create songs about the war — for example, the track "Pryama V ray" (Straight to Heaven), which he dedicated to "heroic defenders of Donbas and heroes of the SMO." And "Ya zhyvy" (I am alive) he wrote in honor of a friend who fought on the side of Russia (and died in 2024 near Kharkiv).
The artist boasts that such songs are well-received by Russian radio stations. Occasionally, there are performances in Russia too.
Skynet also experienced some rise in Belarus. In 2023, they were invited to perform at the Lidbeer music festival and "Slavianski Bazaar".
But lately, Ponomarev has been expressing grievances against Belarusian authorities more and more often on social media. He complains that domestic radio stations are not very willing to take Skynet's songs, and pro-government journalists mostly politely refuse interviews.
However, it is certainly too early to say that Skynet is completely out of favor — on New Year's Eve, the rock band was on ONT, and this year performed on Independence Day in Salihorsk and at the MTZ anniversary.
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