Madonna reveals she 'refused to pay $1m fine for gay rights speech' in Russia

Superstar Madonna has claimed she refused to pay a $1 million fine she was given after speaking out in support of LGBT community in Russia in 2012.

On Tuesday, 'The Material Girl' posted a throwback video of the moment on Instagram, captioning the post: "I made this speech at a concert in St. Petersburg.

She wrote: "8 years ago. I was fined 1 million dollars by the government for supporting the Gay community. I never paid."

Madonna, in the clip, can be heard addressing a noisy crowd, saying: "We want to fight for the right to be free."

She continued: 'At the same time, we can make a difference. We can change this. We have the power. And we don’t have to do it with violence. We just have to do it with love."

The 61-year-old has long been a supporter of the LGBT community, after finding a close friend in her pre-fame ballet teacher Christopher Flynn.

The star – currently in a relationship with dancer Ahlamalik Williams – is known for hits like What It Feels Like For a Girl and Holiday. She has sold over 300 million records worldwide.