Czechs are now paranoid that the Russian choir will literally "annex" their country to Mother Russia simply by singing their hearts out and making spectators avidly applaud.
Every year, the ensemble's touring gathered young and old, causing mass excitement among viewers; but this time there is a new mood in the air — some members of the Czech society believe that the choir is nothing, but Russian soldiers engaged in hybrid warfare, the radio said.
"Nowadays, they're definitely soldiers, not musicians. Of course, their performances have a certain level of professional, cultural and entertainment side to them, but they don't fit to our time," Thomas Pechinski, one of the initiators of a public protest, told Radio Praha, adding that the concert of the choir is a provocation.
If the political situation was different, the choir would be seen differently, but right now the musicians are seen as enemy soldiers and those who attend their concerts are collaborators that applaud the foreign army, the man added.
But some Czechs, who still have common sense left in them, saying it's outrageous to oppose the Russian choir, which, at the end of the day, is simply art and entertainment. Music and politics should be kept separate from one another, said Claudia Aybenova, who attended Choir concerts while growing up.
"Their art brings me great pleasure. I love the way they sing," the woman said.
The Alexandrov Ensemble is the world's largest army choir that has performed in most prestigious venues in more than 50 countries. The choir performs a wide repertoire of Russian folk songs, classical music, including Mozart and Verdi operas, pop classics and Russian military songs.
