The famous Bolshoi Theater has announced the withdrawal of its poster for performances scheduled for May by two directors who have left Russia and who have publicly expressed their opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In a message posted on the Telegram on Monday night, the famous Theater announced that the ballet "Nureyev" directed by Kirill Serebrennikov and the opera "Don Pasquale" by Timofey Kuliabin, will be replaced by other performances for the six performances that are for the festive days of May.
The reasons for this change were not disclosed.
A respected playwright, Kirill Serebrennikov now lives in Berlin. In late April, he told AFP that he had recently left Russia for a "matter of conscience" and was sharply critical of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Known for his daring work, his support for the LGBT community, the artist was sentenced in 2020 for embezzlement to a suspended three-year prison sentence, with a ban on leaving Russia.
His ballet with Rudolf Nureyev, one of the leading dancers of the 20th century in classical ballet who had left the USSR for Europe, has triumphed in the Bolsheviks since late 2017. Despite references to the hero's sexual orientation in a in the context of increased conservatism by the authorities.
Ballet was replaced by "Spartacus", a war work. In early April, the theater presented this historic ballet to support the "Russian military operation" in Ukraine, as Moscow calls it, with all proceeds from the show being donated to the families of Russian soldiers killed in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Timofey Kuliambin, an innovative young director working in Novosibirsk, has also left Russia for Europe and has made many social media posts critical of the war.
In the aftermath of the start of the war on February 24, many of Balsoy's top dancers left.
Among them the dancer Olga Smirnova and many foreign artists.
Tugan Sohiev, Balsoy's music director, also resigned from his post at the Capitole Theater in Toulouse, saying he was under pressure to take a stand on events.
The New York Met has put an end to co-productions and the long-awaited annual Baslossi Ballet tour abroad.