Russian pro-war pop star Sherman, who rose to fame with Kremlin-sanctioned propaganda songs after Moscow’s all-out invasion of Ukraine, has released an AI-generated music video depicting a choir of exiled rebels singing a new song, “Mother Russia.”
Sherman, whose real name is Yaroslav Doronov, said in a post promoting the single on Telegram that anti-war activists “are shouting loudly against Russia for money abroad, but in my music video they sing for Russia for free.”
Some of the people whose portraits appear in the video include popular YouTuber and journalist Yuri Dad, political scientist Ekaterina Shulman, rapper Noise MC, and TV host and comedian Maxim Galkin.
Sherman’s previous songs include “Let’s Stand Up,” “Straight to the Heart,” and “I’m Russian,” each of which has been streamed millions of times on online platforms. In 2024, the Kremlin awarded him the honorary title of Merited Artist of the Russian Federation.
Late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said in 2024 that prison authorities at the Arctic penal colony where he was being held play Sherman’s “I am Russian” every morning immediately after the national anthem.
