The Bolshoi Theater excluded Serebrennikov’s Nureyev ballet from its repertoire

The Bolshoi Theater in Moscow finally removed the ballet “Nureev” directed by Kirill Serebrennikov from its repertoire. This was reported by the director of the theater Vladimir Uryn. According to him, some scenes of the performance could be considered as so-called “LGBT propaganda” under the new laws.

At a press conference dedicated to the Bolshoi Theater’s plans for the new season, Uryn stated that the performance was excluded from the repertoire “due to the signed law, which absolutely clearly discusses issues related to the promotion of non-traditional values.” Uryn clarified that the decision was taken by the theater management immediately after the signing of the law on December 5 last year.

The premiere of the ballet took place in December 2017. The performance to the music of Ilya Demutsky tells about the life and work of one of the most famous ballet artists of the 20th century, Rudolf Nureyev. Dancers Vladyslav Lantratov and Svetlana Zakharova performed the main roles in the performance. The ballet took place on the Historical Stage of the Bolshoi Theater. There are scenes in the play that reproduce episodes from Nureyev’s personal life – he was a homosexual.

As the “Rain” TV channel explains, the premiere was originally planned for July 2017, but was postponed until December. The Ministry of Culture of Russia explained that the premiere was postponed after a “long, detailed telephone conversation” between the Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky and Urynym.

In May 2022, the planned performances were canceled. Earlier, the ballet was criticized for the presence of allegedly “homosexual scenes”, but there was no question of its complete removal from the repertoire.

• In December 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law banning “LGBT propaganda” for all ages and audiences. A similar law has been in force in Russia since 2013, but it only affected minors.
• The law actually prohibits any mention of non-heterosexual relationships without condemning them. After the adoption of the law, mass media, art and popular literature, cinema and music in which LGBT people were mentioned were censored. Many public organizations involved in helping LGBT people and education were forced to stop their work.
• Ballet director Kirill Serebrennikov is one of the most sought-after Russian theater and film directors on the world stage. In 2022, he left Russia. Before that, a criminal case of fraud was initiated against Serebrennikov and the “Seventh Studio” headed by him. In June 2020, the court sentenced Kirill Serebrennikov to three years of conditional imprisonment, however, two years later, he was cleared of the criminal record. The director himself declared his innocence and considers the case fabricated.
• After Serebrennikov’s departure, Russian theaters canceled performances of his authorship or excluded the director’s name from posters and programs.
• After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Serebrennikov made anti-war statements.