British ballet star calls Ukraine's suppression of Russian culture 'absurd'
British ballet star Xander Parish has expressed that the West should welcome artists from Russia rather than impose bans on them. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Xander Parish, a prominent British ballet dancer, has voiced his opinion on Ukraine’s recent decision to ban the work of Russian classical composers like Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Sergey Prokofiev amidst ongoing conflicts. Parish, who once held a leading position at the Mariinsky Theater in Saint Petersburg, Russia, expressed his discontent with the ban shortly after leaving Russia in February 2022, following the escalation of hostilities.
“Those of us who left, we do not hate Russia,” he was quoted saying in The Sunday Times. “We may not agree with what is happening there but we love Russia. It is an amazing country and the culture is unparalleled.”
Parish, who moved on from Russia where he credits his rise to prominence in ballet, stated, “It gave me my career — it picked me out of obscurity and turned me into a ballet star.” He remarked on the impossibility of achieving such recognition at the Royal Ballet in London.
Addressing the Ukrainian National Ballet's decision to exclude Russian ballets from its performances, Parish criticized this move as an overreaction. According to a statement from the director of the Kiev-based troupe, Sergey Skuz, to the Times last year, performing pieces like Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, or Romeo and Juliet could be seen as endorsing Russian aggression.
“I think that is ridiculous, to the point of being absurd. Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and [Igor] Stravinsky have given us so much — they belong to the world. I know it is hard for the people of Ukraine to separate the two, but in my opinion it’s like throwing the baby out with the bathwater,” Parish commented.
Further, he lamented the broader suppression of Russian artists in the West, suggesting that Western countries should welcome rather than ostracize them. Parish acknowledged, however, the complicated role that art plays in political conflicts.
“It is not the artists who are to blame for the war. At the same time, I understand fully that the Russian government is very smart at using the arts as soft power,” he added.
In a related discourse, Russian President Vladimir Putin attributed the escalation of conflict to the antagonistic policies of the US and its allies, claiming their strategies led to the current tensions with Ukraine. He criticized the West for promoting anti-Russian sentiment in Ukraine, which he said had adopted anti-Russian ideology as part of its official stance.
Accusations from Moscow have also targeted the Ukrainian government's policies on Russian culture and language, claiming such actions violate international norms and suppress the rights of the Russian-speaking minority.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
“Those of us who left, we do not hate Russia,” he was quoted saying in The Sunday Times. “We may not agree with what is happening there but we love Russia. It is an amazing country and the culture is unparalleled.”
Parish, who moved on from Russia where he credits his rise to prominence in ballet, stated, “It gave me my career — it picked me out of obscurity and turned me into a ballet star.” He remarked on the impossibility of achieving such recognition at the Royal Ballet in London.
Addressing the Ukrainian National Ballet's decision to exclude Russian ballets from its performances, Parish criticized this move as an overreaction. According to a statement from the director of the Kiev-based troupe, Sergey Skuz, to the Times last year, performing pieces like Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, or Romeo and Juliet could be seen as endorsing Russian aggression.
“I think that is ridiculous, to the point of being absurd. Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and [Igor] Stravinsky have given us so much — they belong to the world. I know it is hard for the people of Ukraine to separate the two, but in my opinion it’s like throwing the baby out with the bathwater,” Parish commented.
Further, he lamented the broader suppression of Russian artists in the West, suggesting that Western countries should welcome rather than ostracize them. Parish acknowledged, however, the complicated role that art plays in political conflicts.
“It is not the artists who are to blame for the war. At the same time, I understand fully that the Russian government is very smart at using the arts as soft power,” he added.
In a related discourse, Russian President Vladimir Putin attributed the escalation of conflict to the antagonistic policies of the US and its allies, claiming their strategies led to the current tensions with Ukraine. He criticized the West for promoting anti-Russian sentiment in Ukraine, which he said had adopted anti-Russian ideology as part of its official stance.
Accusations from Moscow have also targeted the Ukrainian government's policies on Russian culture and language, claiming such actions violate international norms and suppress the rights of the Russian-speaking minority.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
