Putin Honors German Conductor Justus Frantz in Kremlin Amid Uproar in Berlin

German conductor and pianist Justus Frantz received Russia’s Order of Friendship from Vladimir Putin at a ceremony in the Kremlin on November 4, according to Deutsche Welle and Politico.

The award has drawn criticism in Germany, where officials called for his national honors to be revoked.

During the ceremony, Putin said that Frantz had “for many years contributed to bringing together and enriching the cultures of Russia and Germany.” Speaking in Russian, Frantz replied that he had “always wanted to play Russian music and work for your culture.”

The event prompted sharp reactions in Berlin. Roland Theis, a member of the German parliament from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), urged President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to strip Frantz of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

“Anyone who aligns with a dictator whose hybrid military aggression continues to be directed against our country can no longer be a bearer of the Federal Order of Merit,” Theis said, as quoted by Politico.

Frantz, 81, is considered one of Germany’s leading classical musicians. In 1986, he founded the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, one of the country’s largest classical music events. However, his ties with Russia have long been controversial.

According to Deutsche Welle, he has performed in occupied Crimea and served on the jury of the Tchaikovsky Competition after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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In 2023, organizers of the Schleswig-Holstein Festival suspended Frantz over his continued engagement with Russian institutions. He has previously spoken favorably about Russia’s actions in Crimea and criticized Western sanctions imposed on Moscow.

Frantz was born in Inowrocław, Poland, in 1944. Despite the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, he continues to visit Russia regularly and last year celebrated his 80th birthday in St. Petersburg.

Earlier, in August 2025, American filmmaker Woody Allen appeared virtually at Moscow International Film Week, praising Russian cinema and expressing openness to filming in Russia. His participation drew condemnation from Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which called it “a disgrace and an insult” to Ukrainian artists affected by Russia’s war.

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