Original article (in Croatian) was published on 30/10/2023; Author: Ana Benačić
The viral video glorifying Russian President Vladimir Putin features a woman from Trebinje, not Aleksandra Prijovic, a popular Serbian singer.
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The news that the pop-folk sensation Aleksandra Prijovic sold out tickets for five concerts in Arena Zagreb sparked outrage among both nationalist and musically elitist circles.
Pages such as “Stop cajkama u Hrvatskoj” and “Za nasu Hrvatsku” engaged in name-calling and depicted the 28-year-old record holder in terms of the Zagreb audience as a Serbian nationalist and a supporter of the Russian Federation President, Vladimir Putin.
On the Facebook profile “Stop cajkama u Hrvatskokj,” a video was shared with the caption: “Here’s Aleksandra who filled the Arena,” while on the page “Za nasu Hrvatsku” the description reads: “Zagreb city, here’s who you brought to the Arena. Now see for yourself, Croatian people, who is she”.
At the same time, a video shared in the post sparked controversy on specific nationalist websites in October [1, 2, 3]. It shows a woman from Trebinje, seemingly associated with an address in Montenegro, reciting a poem in praise of Vladimir Putin. None of these web portals identified the woman as the singer Aleksandra Prijovic.
“Oh, Putin, our beloved brother, I send you greetings from Trebinje! The prince of the country celebrates the capital from where the brave units are. As the dawn of September breaks in the east, I extend greetings from the Adriatic Sea, our beautiful Montenegro, and from Romania behind Ravna Gora. From Dinara and Serbian Krajina and from everywhere where there is a Serb as a big brother Putin. Vladimir, Orthodox brother, of the Serbian family fairy, greets you”, she states, among other things. It’s worth noting that this isn’t the poetess from Trebinje’s only expression of such sentiments. She has also composed verses expressing her pride in identifying as a Serb in Montenegro [1].
While they may share ethnicity, hair color, and an attractive appearance, the similarities between them largely stop there. Twenty-eight-year-old Prijovic was born in the plains of Sombor and grew up in Beli Manastir in Croatia and Backa Topola. She currently lives in Belgrade. She initially garnered public attention through the musical talent show Zvezde Granda. It has been a decade since her notable performance on the show, and over this period, she has built a significant audience. This audience would undoubtedly take notice of Prijovic’s choice to commemorate Putin through such a video.
Additionally, on her social media profiles, which are followed by hundreds of thousands of people, there is no evidence of the poem [1, 2, 3]. Furthermore, no other reputable source says that the woman in the video is Prijovic.