You're reading: Schwarzenegger, Clooney, Almodovar on Ukraine’s cultural whitelist

The Ukrainian Culture Ministry has started to draw up a whitelist of foreign artists and cultural figures who support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and are against Russian aggression and occupation.

“To my mind, artists and cultural figures, included in the whitelist, must get maximum promotion for their works in Ukraine if such necessity appears,” the press service of the ministry reported, citing Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister, Culture Minister Viacheslav Kyrylenko.

The whitelist is open and will be updated in keeping with ongoing events and new information.

The Culture Ministry has called on the Ukrainian public to suggest new names to be added onto the list.

The first edition of the whitelist includes Russian rock musician Andrei Makarevich, Russian actress Liya Akhedzhakova, Russian actor Valentin Gaft, Russian film and theatre actor Oleg Basilashvili, Russian film director Eldar Ryazanov and his wife, journalist Emma Abaydullina, Russian singer, songwriter Yuri Shevchuk, Russian stage and film actor, theatre director and screenwriter Sergei Yursky, Russian film and theater actor Andrey Myagkov, Ukrainian author and comedian Mikhail Zhvanetsky, Russian film actress Natalya Fateyeva, Russian writer Boris Akunin.

On the list are also Russian satirist, writer, scriptwriter and radio host Victor Shenderovich, Russian rock musician Zemfira, Russian film and stage actor Mikhail Yefremov, Belarusian rapper Sergey Parkhomenko (Seryoga), Russian journalist, music critic, concert promoter, broadcaster, and an academic Artemy Troitsky, Georgian singer, actor, screenwriter, producer, and composer Vakhtang Kikabidze, Russian bard, composer, poet, song writer Yuliy Kim, Russian poet Andrei Orlov (Orlusha), Russian broadcaster, comedian, actor Mihail Shats, Russian actress, comedian Tatiana Lazareva, Russian avant-garde poet Lev Rubinstein.

The list has also European and American celebrities, namely, Spanish film director, screenwriter Pedro Almodovar, German filmmaker, playwright, author, photographer Wim Wenders, English actor and director Tim Roth, Austrian-born American actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, American actor, singer, songwriter, and director Jared Leto, German singer Klaus Meine, American actor, screenwriter, producer, director George Clooney, American actress, model, singer Hayden Panettiere, English singer songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist, producer Martin Gore, American model, actress, musician Milla Jovovich, and American actress, film director, and producer Vera Ann Farmiga.