President of Russia
  • Events
  • Structure
  • Videos and Photos
  • Documents
  • Contacts
  • Search
  • Search this website
President of Russia
Mobile version

President's
website
sections

  • Events
  • Structure
  • Videos and Photos
  • Documents
  • Contacts
  • Search
  • Search
  • For the Media
  • Subscribe
  • Directory
  • Version for People with Disabilities
  • YouTube Channel
  • Русский

President's
website
resources

  • President of RussiaCurrent resource
  • The Constitution of Russia
  • State Insignia
  • Send a Letter
  • Vladimir Putin’s Personal Website

Special
animal welfare
projects

  • Amur tiger
  • Beluga whale
  • Polar bear
  • Snow leopard
  • Far Eastern leopard

Legal
and technical
information

  • About website
  • Using website content
  • Personal data of website users
  • Contact website team

All content on this site is licensed under

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Presidential Executive Office2023
Events

President Vladimir Putin received a legendary singer and former Beatle, Paul McCartney, and his wife, Heather Mills

May 24, 2003
22:20
Moscow
President Putin with musician Paul McCartney and his wife, Heather Mills.
President Putin with musician Paul McCartney and his wife, Heather Mills.
President Putin with musician Paul McCartney and his wife, Heather Mills.
President Putin with musician Paul McCartney and his wife, Heather Mills, at the Tsar Cannon.
President Putin at Paul McCartney\'s concert. Left — Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov and his wife, Yelena Baturina, right -musician Andrei Makarevich.
Paul McCartney performing.

The meeting took place at the Fireplace Hall in the Kremlin.

President Putin said Russians love McCartney’s work, and music by the Beatles was a drop of freedom in the Soviet Union.

Answering Sir McCartney’s question whether the Beatles’ music was banned in Soviet times, Mr Putin said there was no ban on it, but many things were over-ideologised, and the Beatles’ trend did not fit into Soviet ideology. That was the reason why in the 1980s the official authorities did not allow Paul McCartney to hold a concert on Red Square.

Mr Putin asked the musician to tell him about his impressions of St Petersburg and congratulated him on being awarded the title of honorary professor at the St Petersburg Conservatoire. Sir McCartney thanked President Putin for his congratulations and said he had the honour to visit a school where famous Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky studied.

Sir McCartney’s wife, Heather Mills, said she and her husband were engaged in social activities and took an active role in the campaign against land mines. She asked the President if Russia could join the movement. The President said their activities deserve thorough attention because they address people’s safety, but before the use of land mines is banned by the state, preliminary consultations involving diplomats and military experts should be held. After the meeting, Mr Putin, Sir McCartney and Ms Mills had a short walk around the Kremlin. The President pointed out highlights of the Kremlin – the Armoury Chamber, the Grand Kremlin Palace, Sobornaya Square and Tsar Cannon.

That night Mr Putin attended a concert by the famous musician on Red Square. Sir McCartney performed 36 songs, 22 of which were from the Beatles repertoire.

Publication status

Published in section: News

Publication date: May 24, 2003, 22:20

Direct link: en.kremlin.ru/d/28696

Text version

Text
6
Photo

Share
Direct link
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/28696
Share
  • VK
  • LiveJournal
  • Send by email
  • Print
Send by email

Official Website of the President of Russia:

President Vladimir Putin received a legendary singer and former Beatle, Paul McCartney, and his wife, Heather Mills

http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/28696

Last updated at March 20, 2015, 17:59

Официальные сетевые ресурсы

Президента России

Official Internet Resources

of the President of Russia

Русский Английский
  • For the Media
  • Version for People with Disabilities
  • Telegram channel
  • YouTube Channel
  • State Insignia
  • Send a Letter
  • Vladimir Putin’s Personal Website
  • Putin. 20 years

Presidential Executive Office
2023