Bonnie and Clyde made a surprise appearance at Russia’s annual Victory Day concert — as an image of the infamous 1930s criminal couple was shown to the crowd on a big screen among a group of old black and white photos.
The star-crossed lovers looked out at the assembled crowd during a performance of “If there was no war” during the closing ceremony of Victory Day celebrations, Newsweek reported.
Nobody in the crowd or on stage seemed to recognize the duo or even acknowledge that the pair had no place in Russian history.
The concert was aired on state-controlled Channel One, which was one of the first channels to be run by the Russian Federation in 1995.
As of Tuesday, Kremlin officials have not issued any statement regarding the photo.
Bonnie and Clyde, who were killed several years before the beginning of the Second World War, gained notoriety during the Great Depression for a slew of bank robberies and the deaths of at least 13 people over the course of four years.
The photo used in the concert was taken in 1933, a year before the couple met their bloody end at the hands of Texas law enforcement.
Many social media users outside Russia have reposted the clip, pointing out the mistake and trying to guess if there was a hidden meaning behind it.
Twitter and Reddit users have said the appearance of the Texas outlaws at the event could have been mistake or a silent protest done by someone who did not approve of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime.