Justus Frantz meets Putin: Star pianist accepts Order of Friendship in the Kremlin

Moscow. The renowned German pianist and conductor Justus Frantz was awarded the Order of Friendship by Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Moscow Kremlin. "For many years, Justus Frantz has made a fruitful contribution to the rapprochement and mutual enrichment of the cultures of Russia and the Federal Republic of Germany," said the Kremlin chief in his speech at the award ceremony on the occasion of Russia's National Unity Day.

Despite the increasing Western sanctions, Frantz traveled to Russia in person to receive the award. "It is a great honor for me to be here today and to have received such an important order. My whole life I have wanted to play Russian music and work for your culture," the musician told Putin in Russian. He particularly emphasized the symphonies of composers Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rachmaninoff.

The 81-year-old is considered one of the leading figures in the German classical music scene. He has previously been criticized for his defense of Russia's 2014 annexation of the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea and for performances in Russia in recent years. Russia has been waging a war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine since February 2022 and has been subjected to harsh Western sanctions as a result.

RND/dpa