The Stockholm International Music Competition maintains extensive Russian ties despite Swedish government directives prohibiting cultural cooperation with Russian actors, an SVT investigation revealed.
According to the investigation, the competition employs Russian jury members, accepts fees through sanctioned Russian banks, and partners with state institutions supporting Ukraine's invasion. Fourteen jury members work for Russian state organizations that publicly back the war.
Stockholm's Historical Museum terminated its agreement after learning of the connections. "This contradicts government policy," the museum announced. However, Nacka municipal music school continues hosting events this week.
Competition co-founder Galina Erngren denied political involvement. "There is no politics in the competitions. It's just music, nothing more," she told SVT.
The investigation found Russian participants pay entry fees directly to Sberbank accounts due to Swift sanctions. Co-founder Dmitry Mikhailov, registered in St. Petersburg, launched the Stockholm competition in 2010 after creating the original Russian version.
SVT identified 18 of 47 jury members with Russian origins. Fourteen work at state institutions directly supporting the invasion, including Herzen University, which sends humanitarian aid to the front, and the Mariinsky Theatre, which provides free tickets to soldiers since 2023.
The Swedish government banned cultural cooperation with Russian actors in 2022. The competition has operated annually in Stockholm for 15 years.
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