The pro-Putin ballerina Svitlana Zakharova’s show was canceled in Seoul

The organizers canceled the planned ballet performance of Svetlana Zakharova, the prima of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia, because of her support for Putin’s dictatorial policy. Her position caused controversy in Korean society.

The performance was scheduled for April 17-21 in the Seoul Art Center, which is subordinate to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports of South Korea, informs The Korea Times.

“We regret to inform you that the Korean portion of “Modance” has been canceled in light of ensuring the safety of both the audience and the performers. We sincerely apologize to all the viewers who have been waiting for this performance, and we ask for your understanding“, the center reported.

Following this announcement, the page announcing the event was also removed from the Seoul Arts Center website.

The show called “Modanse” depicted sketches from the life of French designer Coco Chanel. It was Zakharova who performed her role. The ballerina was born in Ukraine – in the city of Lutsk, and graduated from the Kyiv Choreographic School in the capital. After that, she immediately moved to Russia. In 2003, she joined the Bolshoi Theater, and in 2007 she became a member of Putin’s United Russia party. She has repeatedly told the Russian media that she is a representative of the Russian ballet school and has always been one.

After social networks raised the question of the expediency of the Russian woman’s speech, it was canceled. The Embassy of Ukraine in Korea also joined in, condemning the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater for justifying and supporting the criminal actions of the Russian regime.

The embassy emphasized that Russia uses cultural activities to justify the war and genocide in Ukraine. They also reminded that other countries have repeatedly boycotted and canceled cooperation with the Great Theater.

The Russian Embassy responded that the planned tours of Russian artists “contribute to the enrichment of the cultural landscape of Korea”, and any attempts to cancel them will be considered unfounded. According to them, events are organized through agreements with private individuals.

Against the background of these statements, the InArts Production company, which was the customer of the show, also expressed its position: “We have been planning and preparing for this performance long before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite careful consideration of various factors, we made the recent decision to cancel the event at the request of the Seoul Arts Center, putting the safety and well-being of our artists and audience first“, InArts reports.

One of the performances of the Russians, the “Gala-concert of the Bolshoi Theater”, has not been canceled yet. It is scheduled for April 16-18 and will be held at the Sejong Performing Arts Center under the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Representatives of the center noted that the decision on cancellation rests with the ordering company Ballet & Model.

Successful attempts to cancel the performances of the Russians

It is not the first time that Ukrainian diplomats and cultural figures have successfully canceled events of Russians abroad. For example, the Vienna Festival canceled the “War Requiem” concert with the Greek-Russian conductor Theodor Kurentzis at the Konzerthaus. Instead, the organizers will offer a concert “Kaddish Requiem” by Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv.

In the address of the Vienna Festival emphasized, that political and moral dimensions directly influenced the music that will be played at the festival. Yes, Lyniv and Currentzis are “representatives of their countries” for the organizers.

Thanks to the discussions, it became clear that it is impossible to hold two concerts, and as the director of the festival emphasized, he would like to preserve the central importance of Oksana Liniv’s performance in the 2024 festival program.