Andreï Makarevich, a prominent figure in the Russian rock scene, expressed his discontent with Tel Aviv’s Smolarz Auditorium, where he was scheduled to perform on Saturday evening, December 21, 2024. The venue, with its 1,200 seats arranged over multiple levels, reminded the 73-year-old guitarist and founder of the band Mashina Vremeni (“The Time Machine”) too much of “the halls of the Kremlin.” The audience that night largely consisted of individuals opposed to Vladimir Putin’s regime, many of whom have either chosen not to return to Russia or are unable to do so.
A supporter of Ukraine since the 2014 annexation of Crimea, the Jewish musician relocated to Israel in 2022, shortly before being labeled a “foreign agent” by the Kremlin the following year. Since then, Makarevich, who stands against Putin’s territorial ambitions, has also become a vocal advocate for Israel’s controversial occupation of Palestinian territories.
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On December 22, Makarevich hosted guests at his home on Mount Carmel in northern Israel, between two stops on his world tour. Adorning the walls of his residence were musical instruments, vintage firearms, and ancient sabers. He drew attention to a map titled “Judea under Herod the Great and his children,” referencing the king who ruled the Holy Land from 37 to 4 BC and was known for reconstructing the Temple of Jerusalem, of which only the Wailing Wall remains today. The map portrayed the area as a unified Jewish territory, omitting any acknowledgment of the Palestinian people. “Just look at this map,” the rock star remarked. “The Israeli occupation doesn’t exist.”
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