Main points
- Svetlana Zakharova was excluded from the Les Etoiles gala concert in Rome.
- Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini called Zakharova's expulsion “Russophobia.”
Vladimir Putin and Svetlana Zakharova / Photo from Russian media
Russian ballerina Svetlana Zakharova has been banned from the Les Etoiles dance gala, scheduled for March 20-21 in Rome. The prima ballerina of Moscow's Bolshoi Theater is a supporter of Vladimir Putin.
Reuters reports this.
The organizers of the gala concert decided to cancel Svetlana Zakharova's performance because they received “institutional messages that emphasized the symbolic responsibility of cultural institutions in the current context.”
They said there was a risk that the event would be “misunderstood or exploited for selfish purposes”, despite their hope of building connections through art.
Zakharova's expulsion followed the Venice Biennale's decision to reopen its Russian pavilion, which had been closed since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini criticized Zakharova's exclusion from the Les Etoiles gala concert, calling it “Russophobia.”
We must make efforts to stop this war. Excluding Russian dancers, artists or athletes does not solve the conflict, but only complicates it,
– he said.
It should be noted that Italian event organizers have tried several times to invite Russian artists, but have faced criticism each time. Last year, authorities canceled a classical music concert at a palace near Naples due to the planned participation of Russian conductor Valery Gergiev.
Who is Svetlana Zakharova?
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Svitlana Zakharova is originally from Lutsk. She graduated from the Kyiv Choreographic School.
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In 1996, the ballerina was accepted into the Mariinsky Theater troupe, and a year later she became a soloist. In 2003, Zakharova moved to the Moscow Bolshoi Theater.
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The ballerina was a deputy from the United Russia party.
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In January, Zakharova was suspended from participating in an arts festival in Florence after objections from the Ukrainian embassy.