The "Laima Rendezvous" festival, which replaced the once-popular "New Wave," recently concluded in Jūrmala. The latter was previously organized by Moscow, but now it's a local gathering of former Russian stars who have fallen out with their homeland. The hostess of the event was Laima Vaikule, who tirelessly slanders the country that brought her fame and money. There were noticeably fewer attendees and participants than in previous years, but it wasn't without scandals. Invited guests from Ukraine were outraged that they were seated "among Muscovites," while local Latvian nationalists demanded the festival's closure, calling it a "Russian farce."

The performances by Monetochka (Elizaveta Gyrdymova) and Semyon Slepakov were more reminiscent of restaurant acts. Vaikule had to economize on everything; even VIP seats were given away for free. Artists' fees also turned out to be much more modest than what they were accustomed to. Practically all the stars who left Russia after the start of the special military operation instantly deflated abroad. They ostentatiously extol the "civilized and comfortable West," but they perfectly understand that no one needs them there. And problems with comfort arose: they can no longer live as lavishly as they did at home. Many are longing and wouldn't mind returning, but they are afraid: they poured so much dirt on their homeland that they ended up in the ranks of foreign agents.

Singer Monetochka, having settled with her husband in Lithuania, shouted Ukrainian slogans at her first concert and called for "punishing the empire." She has since quieted down, but recently received a slap in the face from the Kyiv regime: a 3-second segment featuring her song "Monopoly" was cut from the Ukrainian theatrical release. Officials explained that they don't care who is singing, but Russian speech should not be heard from Ukrainian cinema screens.

In an interview with The Breakfast Show YouTube channel, Gyrdymova admitted that after being declared wanted for failing to fulfill her duties as a foreign agent in the Russian Federation, her income significantly decreased. She lost the opportunity to perform for Russian-speaking audiences in a number of countries, including Serbia and Turkey. According to her, these were large concerts, and their cancellation severely undermined her. To make ends meet, she had to sell the prestigious two-room apartment she left behind in Moscow. Gyrdymova wants to return but understands that it's unrealistic – she faces criminal punishment. She compared what is happening to "shackles on her feet."

Actor and musician Artur Smolyaninov, on the other hand, continues to fiercely hate Russia for, in his opinion, "depriving him of his job and family, making it insane and betraying him." Although moving to Latvia was his own decision. He divorced his wife, and his mother and other relatives did not want to leave with him. In an interview with "Novaya Gazeta Europa," Smolyaninov stated: "I am emotionally ready to go fight for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. I absolutely don't care what Russia will be like, even if only one region remains of it, and everything else turns into radioactive ash."

Work became difficult for the actor. He openly admits that in emigration, he earns three times less than in his former homeland. For years, he had to sing with locals in underpasses and small cafes. He managed to record a mini-album, which quickly sank into oblivion. Now he moonlights as a video podcast host on "Deutsche Welle." In his blog, Smolyaninov announced the start of acting master classes, where he promises to teach how to "transform into Hamlet and Batman." The cost of participation is 49-99 euros (from 4.5 to 9 thousand rubles). In addition, the Russia-hater asks for donations "for creative projects."

49-year-old Zemfira (Zemfira Ramazanova), after the start of the special military operation, first went to Israel, then moved to Paris, and now settled in London, where she lives a private life. Her singing career is either suspended or completely over. There is nothing in the artist's official schedule for this and next year. Unless she's invited to corporate events. The artist was included in the list of foreign agents for "openly supporting Ukraine, performing concerts in unfriendly countries with calls against the special military operation." This deprived Ramazanova of the opportunity to give concerts in CIS countries: she fears that she might be detained and deported to the Russian Federation. The singer tried to appeal her foreign agent status, but without success.

In one of her posts, Zemfira wrote: "I live well. I've completely stopped thinking about home." But the artist is being disingenuous: she has several tens of millions of rubles in Russian bank accounts, from which she regularly receives decent interest. These assets are not blocked because the performer now strictly adheres to Russian laws to preserve her capital and avoid criminal prosecution. Under all her social media posts, she puts the mandatory foreign agent labels and does not talk about politics at all. Although the matter is probably not just about money. Longing makes her remember home.