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Russians, Belarusians to be barred from participating in singing competition in Norway

Soprano Maria Motolygina of Russia, a singer of the Bolshoi Theater youth opera program, won the previous competition in 2021

STOCKHOLM, January 26. /TASS/. The organizers of the international Queen Sonja Singing Competition, which is held in Oslo every two years, said on Wednesday that they will not receive applications from holders of Russian and Belarusian passports.

On their Instagram (outlawed in Russia as belonging to the Meta corporation, which is recognized as extremist) account, they expressed solidarity with Ukraine and notified that no applications for the participation in the contest to be held from August 15 through 26 will be received from Russians and Belarusians.

The international Queen Sonja Singing Competition has been held in Norway since 1988. Soprano Maria Motolygina of Russia, a singer of the Bolshoi Theater youth opera program, won the previous competition in 2021.

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