Olya Polyakova has called for a public discussion following the controversy surrounding the music video featuring an image of Jesus
Ukrainian singer Olya Polyakova, who found herself at the center of a scandal over the use of religious motifs in her new music video, has invited church representatives, theologians, and religious scholars to a public discussion.
This concerns the project The Nogi and the music video for the song “Not the Time,” in which the artist appeared in a costume that some viewers perceived as a reference to Jesus Christ.
This sparked a wave of criticism and accusations of blasphemy.
Polyakova stated that art should raise questions, but if it provokes a painful reaction, this is grounds for open dialogue. She proposed holding a live broadcast featuring priests, cultural experts, theologians, or philosophers who are open to a calm, reasoned conversation.
According to the singer, her invitation was primarily answered by representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), which, in her opinion, could cause additional tension. Therefore, she extended the invitation to representatives of other denominations to ensure broader representation in the discussion.
Polyakova also stated that she plans to select a participant for the discussion from among the clergy based on comments under the post, focusing on audience support.
Earlier, the video caused a significant stir online, and some representatives of the clergy, particularly the OCU, stated that the use of religious symbols in such a context could be perceived as provocative and disrespectful to Christian values.
This is evidenced by the star’s Facebook post.
Prior to this, Ukrainian singer Olya Polyakova publicly addressed her colleague Tina Karol, who came under harsh criticism online following the release of her new song “We Have No Light, But We Have Goodness.”
