A performance featuring Russian ballerina Svetlana Zakharova has been cancelled in South Korea. According to The Korea Times, this happened after "questions were raised about the appropriateness of allowing performances by people who support Vladimir Putin".
The Modanse performance was scheduled for 17-21 April and was to be shown at the Seoul Arts Centre. In this performance, Zakharova plays the role of Coco Chanel. However, today the centre, which is affiliated with the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, announced the cancellation of the performance:
"We regret to inform you that the Korean leg of Modanse has been cancelled to ensure the safety of both the audience and the artists. We sincerely apologise to all the viewers who were looking forward to this performance and hope for your understanding."
In early March, the Ukrainian Embassy in Korea said that Zakharova and current Bolshoi Theatre director Valery Gergiev "actively and openly endorsed the criminal actions of the Russian regime in Ukraine".
The embassy stated that Russia uses cultural events to justify war and genocide as a form of cultural weaponry, and called on international partners to suspend cultural cooperation with the Russian regime and its representatives, highlighting cancellations and boycotts of Bolshoi performances in various countries.
Zakharova has been a member of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art since 2006. For several years, she was a member of the State Duma from United Russia. In 2014, she signed a letter from cultural figures "supporting the position of the President of the Russian Federation on Ukraine and Crimea".
As part of the 2024 presidential campaign, Zakharova became Putin's confidant.
Background. Earlier, it was reported that the concert of Russian singer Netrebko would be cancelled in Prague following recommendations from the mayor's office and the Ukrainian embassy.