Madonna Called A Whore For Backing Protest

Madonna's antics in support of gay rights during her tour of Russia have continued to cause upset among the authorities and the church - and provoked the deputy prime minister into calling her a former prostitute.

Writing on Twitter ahead of her latest gig in St Petersburg, but without spelling it out, Dmitry Rogozin said: "Every former w.... seeks to lecture everyone on morality as she gets older. Especially during tours and gigs abroad."

Before the concert, police officers were deployed to the venue, as priests vowed to burn pictures of the US pop star following her demonstration on stage in Moscow two nights earlier, when she donned a balaclava - the trademark garment of punk band Pussy Riot.

She also stripped to a black bra to reveal the words "Pussy Riot" on her back - staging the stunt in solidarity with the three members of the seven-strong girl group who are being held in custody.

Prosecutors have sought three years in a corrective labour facility for the band members on charges of hooliganism for their church performance of an anti-Putin "punk prayer". The verdict will be handed down on August 17.

In his angry tweet about Madonna's moral values, Mr Rogozin added: "Either take off your cross, or put on your knickers."

Ahead of the St Petersburg concert, the US Embassy warned that its consulate there had "received information regarding a threat of physical violence against spectators and performers" following Madonna's antics in Moscow.

And local MP Vitaly Milonov said the singer's latest show would be closely monitored for signs of violating the new ban on propaganda of deviant behaviour.

"We should not allow the imposition here in Russia of Western values that Madonna promotes," said a spokeswoman for the politician.

But the singer again stripped to her bra, this time to reveal the words "No Fear!" written on her back as she preached the dangers of societies that fail to treat their own people with "dignity, with respect and with love".

"Show your love and appreciation for the gay community," the 53-year-old shouted as a sea of hands shot up to display pink bracelets that her team had distributed to the 10,000-strong crowd.

St Petersburg - President Vladimir Putin's native city - banned what would have been Russia's first authorised gay pride rally last month after a deluge of complaints from residents.

The city authorities this year passed a loosely-worded law that fines those "promoting homosexuality" to minors and apparently equates it with paedophilia.

Russia legalised homosexuality in 1993 after the fall of the Soviet Union, but only ceased to classify it as a mental disorder in 1999.

Homophobic attitudes run high across the country, and are promoted by some of Russia's most popular and powerful politicians.