ALMATY – A prominent Russian ballet dancer accused Wednesday of performing a song dedicated to fallen Russian soldiers during a tour in Uzbekistan, but Uzbek officials said he deviated from the agreed program. rice field.
The incident has highlighted concerns among Moscow’s Central Asian partners about military operations in Ukraine, a fellow former Soviet republic.
In an Instagram video, dancer Sergei Polunin sang a chorus of fallen Russian soldiers to the song, which includes the line, “As long as God is with us and the truth is ours, we will rise.” He said that he wore a military uniform and danced for the purpose.
The song “Let Us Rise” was released on February 23rd, the day before Russia’s Army Day. Russian forces invade Ukraine.
After the performance, officials from the Uzbekistan Foundation for Cultural and Artistic Development (the government agency that oversees the arts in Uzbekistan) rudely reprimanded him for his performance.
Polunin said he wanted Russian diplomats to stand up for him.
“We must not give in to this and allow them to do this to Russian artists and Russian culture,” he said.
But Uzbek news site Gazeta.uz, citing a foundation official, said Polunin should stick to the program.
Despite their close ties with Russia, Uzbekistan and its neighbor Kazakhstan have refused to support what Russia calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine and have called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
in the past week, Tens of thousands of Russians fled to Central Asia To avoid a conscription campaign announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin amid setbacks on the Ukrainian battlefield.Reuters
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/russian-ballet-dancer-censured-for-pro-war-performance-in-uzbekistan Russian ballet dancer accused of anti-war performance in Uzbekistan