Viktor Klimenko plays North Korea - again
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By Tommi Nieminen
On Wednesday, Viktor “Viki” Klimenko, who has profiled himself as a Cossack singer and Pentecostalist preacher, flew, via Moscow, to Pyongyang, the capital of communist North Korea.
The trip was something of a routine for Viki. He has performed at a festival marking the birthday of the Great Leader Kim Il-Sung in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007.
“It seems that I am a trusted person”, Klimenko says.
Klimenko’s trip was organised by Fida, an organisation owned by Finland’s Pentecostalist congregations, which spreads development aid and the Word of God.
“The state of North Korea has previously appealed to Fida, asking if they could provide international stars like this for the festival. This is humanitarian work. If I didn’t go there, the people would be deprived of it”, Klimenko says.
The premise of the tour is astounding: Klimenko is a Pentecostalist, who proclaims the Word. North Korea, meanwhile, is an atheist state.
“They haven’t prohibited religious songs - that is a small victory. I am not demanding religious freedom for North Korea, but I feel that the fact that they have invited me here is a victory in itself.”
Klimenko is not going alone to Kim Il-Sung’s birthday. Travelling with him is opera singer Satu Vihavainen and - surprise, surprise - Erkki Korhonen, who was sacked from his previous post as head of the Finnish National Opera.
“I told Korhonen, that over there, we can’t aim at the lowest common denominator: the standard is very high.”
Last Sunday, North Korea declared - with great pathos on national TV - that it had launched a satellite into space. In reality, the country had fired a long-range missile, which flew 3,200 kilometres from North Korea over Japan and fell into the Pacific Ocean.
The missile drove the country’s neighbours wild. Japan ordered the mobilisation of its missile defence forces. South Korea is on permanent military alert in any case.
Klimenko is taking the situation in stride. He is a guest of the state.
“What should I be afraid of? We are well taken care of, we have two or three topcoats. I don’t think that Japan will send any rockets there, or that South Korea will attack.”
Klimenko emphasises that his performance in Pyongyang will be shown on North Korean television. It will be available for the all of the people to enjoy.
“How could they take advantage of us for propaganda?”
Well, one possible way is that Klimenko will be presented to ordinary North Korean TV viewers as a great star who is bringing with him the support of the whole Finnish people to the country’s leadership.
In Pyongyang Klimenko will sing at least Sibelius’s Finlandia and the Toivo Kärki song Aurinko laskee länteen (“The Sun Sets in the West”), because “it was well received last year”.
It is nice that it was to the liking of the North Koreans, as it has not done as well in the West. Klimenko performed it at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1965. He tied for 15th place, with another country. Score: nul points.
“The general impression that I have is that the life of the North Koreans is deadly serious. Fear drives humour away. I have thought that someone could go there with a humorous act.”
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 11.4.2009
On Wednesday, Viktor “Viki” Klimenko, who has profiled himself as a Cossack singer and Pentecostalist preacher, flew, via Moscow, to Pyongyang, the capital of communist North Korea.
The trip was something of a routine for Viki. He has performed at a festival marking the birthday of the Great Leader Kim Il-Sung in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007.
“It seems that I am a trusted person”, Klimenko says.
Klimenko’s trip was organised by Fida, an organisation owned by Finland’s Pentecostalist congregations, which spreads development aid and the Word of God.
“The state of North Korea has previously appealed to Fida, asking if they could provide international stars like this for the festival. This is humanitarian work. If I didn’t go there, the people would be deprived of it”, Klimenko says.
The premise of the tour is astounding: Klimenko is a Pentecostalist, who proclaims the Word. North Korea, meanwhile, is an atheist state.
“They haven’t prohibited religious songs - that is a small victory. I am not demanding religious freedom for North Korea, but I feel that the fact that they have invited me here is a victory in itself.”
Klimenko is not going alone to Kim Il-Sung’s birthday. Travelling with him is opera singer Satu Vihavainen and - surprise, surprise - Erkki Korhonen, who was sacked from his previous post as head of the Finnish National Opera.
“I told Korhonen, that over there, we can’t aim at the lowest common denominator: the standard is very high.”
Last Sunday, North Korea declared - with great pathos on national TV - that it had launched a satellite into space. In reality, the country had fired a long-range missile, which flew 3,200 kilometres from North Korea over Japan and fell into the Pacific Ocean.
The missile drove the country’s neighbours wild. Japan ordered the mobilisation of its missile defence forces. South Korea is on permanent military alert in any case.
Klimenko is taking the situation in stride. He is a guest of the state.
“What should I be afraid of? We are well taken care of, we have two or three topcoats. I don’t think that Japan will send any rockets there, or that South Korea will attack.”
Klimenko emphasises that his performance in Pyongyang will be shown on North Korean television. It will be available for the all of the people to enjoy.
“How could they take advantage of us for propaganda?”
Well, one possible way is that Klimenko will be presented to ordinary North Korean TV viewers as a great star who is bringing with him the support of the whole Finnish people to the country’s leadership.
In Pyongyang Klimenko will sing at least Sibelius’s Finlandia and the Toivo Kärki song Aurinko laskee länteen (“The Sun Sets in the West”), because “it was well received last year”.
It is nice that it was to the liking of the North Koreans, as it has not done as well in the West. Klimenko performed it at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1965. He tied for 15th place, with another country. Score: nul points.
“The general impression that I have is that the life of the North Koreans is deadly serious. Fear drives humour away. I have thought that someone could go there with a humorous act.”
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 11.4.2009
TOMMI NIEMINEN / Helsingin Sanomat
tommi.nieminen@hs.fi