Lawyer Alexander Benkhin told Doan that Honored Artist of Russia Arkady Ukupnik is not subject to Latvian sanctions and did not lose his home in Jurmala due to his second citizenship.
“As for Ukupnik, he can have Israeli citizenship. He can register his home as an Israeli, so he is not subject to the official sanctions of Russian citizens,” the lawyer said.
Benhin suggested that Ukupnik register his assets abroad as Israelis. From a legal perspective, this makes it more difficult to impose sanctions on artists. According to the lawyer, the “tightening” in the Baltic region began in 2014.
In April 2025, Latvia's State Security Service (SSS) banned Russian singer Kristina Orbakaite, as well as Serbian musician and composer Goran Bregovic, from entering the republic.
Previously, actor Danila Kozlovsky was put on the blacklist of artists banned from Latvia. Musician Vadim Motylev, known by his pen name Slimus, was also refused participation. Latvia also asked the EU to completely stop issuing Schengen visas to Russians. Details – in material “Leopard.Ru”.
