Keep away from me, keep away from me

Heaven forbid, heaven forbid

Russian actor, comedian, producer, and TV host Mikhail Galustyan, who became famous for his role as the migrant construction worker Ravshan in the comedy series "Nasha Russia," is currently in Tajikistan.

Galustyan arrived in the country as a special guest at the invitation of TAS International Group. The company organized a presentation for the future "Dushanbe City" project, in which the Russian comedian participated, Asia-Plus portal reports.

In his personal videos, Galustyan himself admires the beauty of Dushanbe, expresses hope for an influx of tourists to these beautiful places, and shows a fragment of the project's presentation.

However, local residents, journalists, bloggers, and activists have harshly criticized the invitation of the artist who "for years made Tajiks a laughingstock."

"A lifetime ban for him," "How could he be invited? Is there any self-respect?", "He became popular precisely after the role in which he mocked our people, he shouldn't have been invited," "Let him apologize to the people of Tajikistan! We will not forget how mockingly he showed the passport of a citizen of the Republic of Tajikistan," "He is the first guest whom all Tajiks are not happy to see," "Suitcase, train station, Moscow," "This is just a disgrace, where is the pride and dignity," social media users express their outrage.

Some of those dissatisfied with Galustyan's arrival called on the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan to detain the artist and deport him from the country, "not letting him onto our land." One user demanded public apologies and explanations from Galustyan regarding the character of Ravshan.

The wave of criticism reached such a scale that the Ministry of Culture of Tajikistan was forced to distance itself from the Russian comedian's visit. Mirzoolim Saidov, head of the arts department of the Ministry of Culture, stated that Galustyan's visit had not been coordinated with the department. He recalled that the invitation of foreign artists to Tajikistan must be coordinated with the Ministry of Culture starting from January 2024, by order of the deputy head of the department, Obid Nazariyon.

At the same time, many residents of Tajikistan called not to harass the actor for participating in the project, but rather to show the country's strengths — hospitality, warmth, culture, and magnificent nature.