The nation is finding itself in a psychological crisis. In response, some Russians are fervently supporting the operation with patriotic zeal. Others are engaging in endless squabbles.
This article was originally published in Russian in the New Times.
One hundred days is too long for something called a “special operation.” As the Ukraine conflict drags on and becomes routine, the interest of the general public wanes. One might think that this works in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s favor, but the growing apathy is resulting in demobilization. What Putin needs from the masses is the exact opposite. Furthermore, as the conflict becomes increasingly routine, even his strongest supporters can’t shrug off the endless nightmare that has shattered their past and stolen their future.
One thing we can say for sure is that however the conflict ends, Russians will still be outcasts, equated in Western public opinion to the Germans in 1945. With 14 million people pushed from their homes, a truly staggering number, Russians will continue to face isolation and condemnation.
Public support for the “special operation” remains impressive: in the Levada Center’s May survey, the number of respondents who “definitely support” the “special operation” was a little under half, with the strongest support coming from the “55 plus” age group. Another 30 percent “rather support” it.
However, some difficult internal moral work is under way in society: despite the increasing routineness of the conflict and the resulting decline in attention to it, Russians are beginning to think about their own responsibility for what is happening. This is something new: about a third of respondents believe that “people like them” are responsible “for the deaths of civilians and the destruction in Ukraine.” Over the course of a month, the number of respondents who are pausing to think has grown by 8 percentage points. These are the indicators that deserve attention more than the infamous “80 percent” cited by both those who consider all Russians moral degenerates and those who use sociology to justify the continued archaization of the political regime (including presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov).
The nation is finding itself in a psychological crisis. In response, some Russians are fervently supporting the operation with patriotic zeal. Others are engaging in endless squabbles. Those who have left Russia blame those who have stayed behind for everything, even those who oppose the regime. Meanwhile, those who remain in Russia challenge their critics to return home and conduct civil and political resistance in the face of a brutal police dictatorship.
The unthinkable has become routine. That includes absurd debates about “good” and “bad” Russians, and the persecution of dissidents. Russian human rights lawyer Pavel Chikov estimates that as of the end of May, 53 criminal cases have been launched into “fake news” about the Russian armed forces and 2,029 administrative cases involving the alleged maligning of the armed forces. The list of “foreign agents” is expanded, like clockwork, every Friday. And in a development that brings together all types of frustrations with the continuing catastrophe, the supporters of opposition leader Alexei Navalny recently called for sanctions against Alexei Venediktov, the former editor in chief of Echo of Moscow radio station who has been branded by the Kremlin as a “foreign agent. ” In other words, groups on very different sides of the barricades are attacking the very same man for very different reasons.
Ordinary citizens are doing whatever they can to distract themselves from the situation. Consider trends in the book market: Russians are no longer reading business and self-help books. Instead, sales of fiction are growing, particularly escapes from reality such as romance novels, science fiction, and fantasy. Several years ago Russians were buying Karl Marx’s Das Kapital and Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century . Today, sales of George Orwell’s 1984 are up.
The hot new production on Moscow’s theater scene is Cabaret, a musical drama directed by Yevgeny Pisarev. The setting is the same as that in Bob Fosse’s classic 1972 film version: a Germany descending into the Nazism that Putin and his spin doctors frequently claim is happening right next door. However, the allusions are obvious to everyone, particularly those in the lines of the actor playing the Master of Ceremonies. But it’s clear in this production that the actors are not talking about mythical Banderites but rather about things that are brewing on the eastern side of the Russia-Ukraine border.
“The departing year was not easy,” says the Master of Ceremonies. “But a new year is starting, 1931. Germany is rising up from its knees to a new position that we are promised will bring us happiness and prosperity.”
Only theater critics from state-owned media outlets can pretend that the “Germany” in the production is the Germany of 1931 and not the Russia of 2022. Today, it is almost impossible to get tickets to Cabaret. Everyone is eager to hear the Master of Ceremonies say, at the end of the play, “So, you still think you have problems?” and to flirt with their silent but burgeoning feeling of protest against the archaism imposed on Russia by Putin.
A joke is told on stage: “Hitler, Goering, and Goebbels are sitting in a bunker. If a bomb hits the bunker, who will be saved? Germany will be saved. ”
How does the audience react when they hear terms like “rising up from its knees” or “bunker,” which are part and parcel of everyday conversations among the Russian intelligentsia about their country’s leader? And yet how could the authorities censor the play? Ostensibly, it is about the Nazism that the official Kremlin propaganda attacks and about other Western degradation. Who could possibly object to any of that?
But nothing is as simple as it looks for Russia Inc. It is slowly turning into a hysterical Russian version of Cabaret. Not every Russian supports the regime and the “special operation” to rob Russia of its future. And clever Russians are still finding ways to protest. While a brave few are taking to the streets, others are putting up funny fake propaganda stickers, complete with the trademark “Z” symbol, that read “For the President’s Ass!” (These are a takeoff from the words of rock musician Yuri Shevchuk, who was unsuccessfully persecuted for telling a crowd, “The Motherland is not the president’s ass. ”) That’s why it’s so hard to get tickets to Cabaret, which doubles as an outlet for protest and a therapeutic experience.
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Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Russian troops attacking his country were "tired" and "demoralized" as he offered an optimistic outlook for his country, saying it would take "victory" in the war.
"We never wanted this war, but it was brought to us," Zelensky said in a speech posted on his Facebook page. "We never dreamed of killing, but we have to knock out the enemy — from our land and from our lives."
He added: "We have to endure what no other European nation has seen in 80 years. And it is on our land that it is decided whether someone else in Europe will fall victim to the same aggression."
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his country's invasion of Ukraine in the early hours of February 24, and Zelensky said that in recent days, "the enemy is tired, demoralized."
"They came to our land to look for something that has never been here: cowardice, consent to slavery," Zelensky said.
The comedian turned wartime leader said Ukraine would take "victory" in the war.
"The government of Ukraine is already working on how to restore our state after the victory," he said.
He said a special economic tax-break package had already been created to aid Ukrainian businesses and employees amid the war.
"We and terror are different universes. That is why there is no blood on our flag," Zelensky said.
"There are no and will never be black spots on it," he said. "There are no and will never be any swastikas on it. The Ukrainian flag is the land: peaceful, fertile, golden, and without tanks. This is the sky: peaceful, clear, blue, and without missiles. So it was. And so it will be."
Meanwhile, Zelensky called on the West to implement new and harsher sanctions against Russia "if the invasion continues and Russia does not abandon its plans against Ukraine."
He called for a boycott of Russian exports, including oil and petroleum products.
"When someone loses their mind, we have to lose fear and forget about commerce. We need to defend ourselves," he said.
Zelensky also repeated his call for a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
"How many more deaths and losses are needed to secure the sky over Ukraine?" he asked, adding: "We are waiting for a decision."
After Nursultan Nazarbaev left the presidency of Kazakhstan, many in the country started talking about the fact that the new authorities could speed up the process of de-Russification. The recent conflict that flared up because of the “language patrols” of the nationalists, as well as the riots that swept the country and the entry of Russian peacekeepers, only increased these fears. Society is increasingly split into a poor, archaic Kazakh-speaking majority and an educated Russian-speaking minority. Against this background, the process of abandoning the Cyrillic alphabet continues, and the status of the Russian language is gradually declining. What the Russian population of Kazakhstan fears and hopes for - in the material of "Lenta. ru".
The names of the interlocutors who spoke about the situation in Kazakhstan have been changed at their request .
Karolina , 29 years old, Alma-Ata, copywriter
To be honest, the protests were unexpected for us and shocked us. We do not follow the news very much and, moreover, we do not take part in such events. I learned quite by accident that the protesters took to the streets — a friend from Russia wrote to me.
In response, I just laughed and assumed that they would be quickly dispersed, as is usually the case with us. But a few hours later, the protesters were already in the center, and the protest action was taking place right under our windows. It became scary after a day of incessant riots, explosions and shooting.
Then there were thoughts that the protesters might raise the national question and start attacking Russians under the guise.
Therefore, my family positively accepted the entry of the CSTO military contingent into Kazakhstan. If not for this decision, the devil knows how it could have ended. We ourselves could not cope, and what happened to our army at the most crucial moment is still a mystery. Where was she? Why didn't military units enter Alma-Ata on the first night, when it became clear that these were not peaceful rallies?
But at the same time, I know a lot of people who were against the CSTO peacekeeping mission. In particular, representatives of the opposition. For them, what is happening has become an excellent informational occasion that can be perverted beyond recognition - that's what can really lead to interethnic discord...
Special forces try to stop protesters in the center of Almaty, January 5, 2022
Photo: Vladimir Tretyakov / AP
Aleksei , 41, Petropavlovsk, entrepreneur
The protests aroused mixed emotions. On the one hand, there was a feeling that the inevitable had happened, on the other hand, there was a panic due to a lack of understanding of how the crisis would end.
I didn't doubt for a minute that it would come to bloodshed, because the people weren't exactly tired, they were embittered. And when a person is angry, he loses control over himself
At first, the media reported that the protests were economically motivated and provoked by the increase in gas prices. But rising fuel prices are the last straw in an overflowing bowl. People are tired of lies. The local media constantly tell us how well we are, it turns out, we live. It's already really fed up.
It seems to me that frankly impoverished people took part in the riots, mostly people from auls. And these were not some bandits from abroad. These are our local Kazakhs, who are simply tired of working for a bai for porridge
They came to take out their anger. Now these uprisings are served under the sauce of banditry and terrorism. But there were no real bandits and terrorists. We were not even shown a single foreigner who would speak any Arabic or other language.
In my opinion, the introduction of the CSTO troops was the result of the fact that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was simply afraid that the army would go over to the side of the protesters. It was a real revolutionary situation
But I still welcomed the appearance of peacekeepers, because people who wanted to take advantage of the rebellion would do it far from for the benefit of the people. It was an attempt to reshape power. And it would be better for no one.
Therefore, I am grateful to Tokayev for taking this step. He saved the country. Whether this is good or bad, time will tell. But I do not think that under the current government, someone will reproach Russia and the Russians with this fact. Perhaps, when the government changes, someone will raise the question of why sovereign Kazakhstan needed to send Russian troops into the country. But now it is not critical.
Vladimir , 28 years old, Karaganda, financial analyst
Initially, I was glad that people came out to show their citizenship, at first it even worked. But what happened next was a big shock. I don't think anyone expected this. In my environment there are Russians, and Kazakhs, and Koreans. Almost all of them reacted negatively to the riots.
Looking at these events three weeks later, I was once again convinced that the deployment of a peacekeeping contingent was the right decision. To our great regret, our armed forces have completely failed in the task of protecting the civilian population and themselves. At the same time, I see on the Internet how other residents reacted to the appearance of the CSTO troops in Kazakhstan. And, it seems to me, the decision unequivocally exacerbated anti-Russian sentiments.
Servicemen of the CSTO peacekeeping force contingent at the Chkalovsky airfield in the Moscow region, who returned after completing tasks in Kazakhstan
Photo: Mikhail Voskresensky / RIA Novosti
Vyacheslav , 43 years old, Petropavlovsk, auto mechanic
I supported the peaceful protest and the protesters' demand for lower gas prices. But the ensuing riots and looting caused nothing but condemnation. Many of my friends in Alma-Ata were shocked by what was happening, it was really scary. You can not bring the situation to such intensity.
So the introduction of the CSTO troops was perceived by me positively. Of course, the representatives of the opposition were of a different opinion.
But everyone understood that even one day of delay in such a decision could have ended much more deplorably
But one must understand that for urban, Russified, educated Kazakhs, all this is just as scary as for Russians
attitude towards Russians, and in general towards all city dwellers. This, in my opinion, is the fault of the state, which cannot provide jobs and decent wages for people from rural areas and the provinces.
In general, I do not see any big difference between the position of Russians and Kazakhs. But this is probably also because my family and the environment, in which there are representatives of both nationalities, are people with higher education, normal work. That is the middle class and above. Because of this, it seems that everyone has equal opportunities, but in fact it is not.
The further you go, the more difficult it is to get a good education due to its declining quality, and it is extremely difficult to get a good job without dating
Yes, and with our famous "make, I'm from the tank." That is, you can be very smart, talented, but more likely you will still prefer someone's relatives. Or you will work one for all while they just mess around.
Participants of the annual educational action on literacy testing "Total Dictation-2019" in the auditorium of the Republican Physics and Mathematics School in Nur-Sultan
Photo: Abzal Kaliev / RIA Novosti
Aleksey , 41 years old, Petropavlovsk, entrepreneur
As such, we do not have the phenomenon of oppression of Russians. It's all contrived. My Russian classmate is now on the board of directors of a large Kazakh state-owned company. He doesn't even know the Kazakh language! And he has no Kazakh relatives. Specialists are valued here because they understand that they benefit the state.
I will not deny that in business and politics the oppression of Russians is possible. Because the titular nation strives to keep the dominance there
Although not so long ago, Olga Perepechina, the former head of the Department of Statistics of the North Kazakhstan region, became the Vice Speaker of the Senate. Nice upgrade in my opinion.
Elena , 45 years old, Pavlodar, teacher
I can give examples when Russians are much more wealthy than Kazakhs. But the percentage of Kazakhs in the same leadership positions is much higher. Of course, I understand that we live in Kazakhstan, but one gets the feeling that it is not the personal qualities of a person or his abilities as a leader that are valued, but his nationality. And this is seen everywhere.
Aleksey , 41 years old, Petropavlovsk, entrepreneur
The Russian language has the status of an official language in Kazakhstan - the language of interethnic communication. But in the run-up to the January protests, Tokayev signed a decree that leaves only Kazakh as a mandatory language for signage, price tags, and menus.
In the future, this will lead to the fact that I, who do not speak Kazakh, will come to a restaurant, start reading the menu, and I will have to order an interpreter
Half of the population of Kazakhstan knows the state language only at the conversational level. They can't read or write on it. And these people will now find themselves in exactly the same position. They did not know the Kazakh language in Cyrillic, and here it will also be finally translated into Latin. For them, it will be even more of a problem.
I think that in the future the Russian language may disappear completely in Kazakhstan. This is due to both the outflow and the natural decline of the Russian-speaking population. Since there are no native speakers, then he himself will die
And Russia, too, will be to blame for this - there is no significant support from the Russian population on its part. Neither in the Baltics, nor in Ukraine, nor in Kazakhstan. There is no interest of the Russian state in the fact that Russian-speaking people in the post-Soviet space do not experience pressure. This is the political lack of will of Russia.
Anatoly , 49 years old, Petropavlovsk, builder
In Petropavlovsk, people mostly speak Russian, even the Kazakhs themselves among themselves. Those who are fluent in the Kazakh language and use it mainly in everyday communication are, as a rule, people from auls and districts that have been little affected by urbanization. For some Kazakhs, the state language also becomes a problem, in particular, for the same urban Kazakh youth and their parents, who were born and raised in the city.
A graduate holds a certificate at the celebration of graduation from gymnasium school No. 110 in Alma-Ata
Photo: Timur Batyrshin / RIA Novosti
Karolina , 29 years old, Alma-Ata, the number of copywriters in the country 900 Kazakh language becomes more 900 , as well as the Kazakh population.
It is impossible to get a job in many companies or even some positions without knowing the state language. But for a Russian, the chance to become a high-ranking official is small even with knowledge of Kazakh
It often happens that Kazakhs, seeing that you are Russian, address you in Kazakh. But this is not a question of discrimination, but a simple ignorance of the Russian language, the time for studying which is less and less every year in schools. The emphasis is on Kazakh, which, in principle, if you think reasonably, is logical for Kazakhstan.
And I am not against learning the state language, but for this you need to teach it competently and well. And we have Kazakh lessons in schools from year to year in the spirit of "guys, let's just sit quietly for 45 minutes." All this is exacerbated by the lack of awareness among the population of the value of the language. Everyone learns the same English with pleasure, because great prospects are opening up. This does not work with Kazakh.
Elena , 45 years old, Pavlodar, teacher
The use of the Russian language is declining everywhere. Of course, I understand that you need to know the state language, but a large percentage of the Russian-speaking population still lives in the country. And not only Russians: Ukrainians, Tatars, and Germans. And for me personally, as a native speaker of the Russian language, it is difficult to come to terms with this state of affairs.
I think that the Russian language is needed in Kazakhstan. If only because young people who graduated from local schools are going to study abroad. It's easier for them when they know Russian - one of the six official languages of the UN, for a second.
Of course, many people are now focused on learning English, but pushing away Russian when you have Russia at your side, and its language is used in other countries of Central Asia, is extremely illogical
Girls at the monument to Khan Kenesary, Nur-Sultan
Photo: Valery Sharifulin / TASS
Aleksey , 41 years old, Petropavlovsk, businessman
After the collapse of the USSR, Russia had to do its best to maintain existing economic ties with neighboring countries. Their break was a huge omission. What was developed in the Soviet Union was simply taken and broken. It will take a long time to get it back now. And after all, meat does not lie in the sun for a long time: it will either rot or be pecked. And here you are already reading the news: in the next few years, China will provide gratuitous assistance to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. And China, in principle, has been looking at Kazakhstan for a long time.
So now it will be very difficult for Russia to make itself a satellite from Kazakhstan. Time was lost
If there is no real shift in the economic situation in Kazakhstan, and the population does not improve their financial situation, then technically competent specialists will leave here. And not only Russians. A normal person cannot look calmly at this whole situation, coupled with rampant corruption.
If nothing changes, then there will be no future not only for Russians, but also for Kazakhs, unless they are relatives of some influential people. Because nepotism here is the best protégé
I would love to move to Russia and would have done it a long time ago if my elderly parents had done it with me. For me, this is the only limiting factor. As a specialist and entrepreneur, I cannot earn the money here that I could receive. Because people here do not have the means to properly pay for my work and knowledge.
Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Nur-Sultan
Photo: Ilya Pitalev / RIA Novosti
Vladimir , 28 years old, Karaganda, financial analyst
A large percentage of the young educated population, and not only Russian, is leaving Kazakhstan. Because it is much easier to realize yourself in another country.
I also have thoughts about moving. But I can't say that life in Russia will definitely be better for me than in Kazakhstan
Each country has its pros and cons. So far, I'm happy with my stay here. I have a good job, an apartment, a big family, friends. Therefore, the question of moving is not yet so acute.
Vyacheslav , 43 years old, Petropavlovsk, auto mechanic
I have not heard of any pressure on Russians in Kazakhstan. I don't think anything will change in the coming years. We are fraternal peoples. It seems to me that everything will be fine. Therefore, I do not think about moving to Russia. I was born and raised in Petropavlovsk. There is a saying: "Where you were born, there you came in handy." I think that my family and I will stay here.
I liked Tokaev's last address, in which he urged to look towards Russia and send Kazakh students to Russian universities to train technical specialists in demand in the country. It seems to me that our government is looking in the right direction in this regard.
Elena , 45 years old, Pavlodar, teacher
If the economic situation worsens, there will be fewer and fewer Russians in Kazakhstan. Already now we can observe a large outflow of the population, and there are no prerequisites for a decrease in this trend. Growing youth enter Russian universities, and only a few of these graduates return to their homeland. And this is only because they have some personal reasons for this, and not because they have a bright future and prospects in Kazakhstan.
Some Russians have an expectation that if suddenly some kind of turmoil starts in Kazakhstan and they are directly oppressed, Russia might intervene. But I strongly doubt it. It is unlikely that the Russian leadership will want to spoil relations with colleagues in Kazakhstan because of this.
A protester during a protest against an increase in the cost of liquefied natural gas, Almaty, January 5, 2022
Photo: Pavel Mikheyev / Reutersyo, Alma-Ata, copywriter
Thoughts about moving to Russia are always with us. But I don’t think that it will be much easier for us, Russians from Kazakhstan, there. Indeed, in Russia we are often perceived as Kazakhs and driven back to “our Kazakhstan”.
In general, it is difficult to be a Russian born not in Russia, but in other countries of the post-Soviet space: you do not feel needed either in the republic where you were born, or in your historical homeland
Positive thinking believes that one of the reasons due to which we are still here—friendly relations between our countries. But in general, we are well aware that Russia does not need it, and all this friendship between the two states is by no means based on us.
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Image copyright, Getty Images
Bolshoi Theater prima ballerina Olga Smirnova has announced that she is joining the National Ballet of the Netherlands. She is not the first cultural figure to leave the country or resign due to disagreement with the military actions that Russia is waging in Ukraine.
30-year-old prima of the Bolshoi Theater Olga Smirnova, who previously condemned the war in Ukraine started by Russia, left the country and joined the Dutch National Ballet.
"I never thought that I would be ashamed of Russia, I have always been proud of the talented Russian people, our cultural and sporting achievements. But now I feel that a line has been drawn that separates before and after. It hurts that people die, that people lose a roof over their heads or are forced to leave their homes," said Olga Smirnova.
At the Dutch National Ballet, the BBC confirmed that Smirnova would start working with the company immediately.
Image copyright, Getty Images
Image caption,Ballerina Olga Smirnova: "With every fiber of my soul I am against the war"
Olga Smirnova is not the first and not the only Russian cultural figure who left Russia, left their posts or faced censorship after voicing their protest against the war in Ukraine.
Rapper Face (Ivan Dremin) wrote on Instagram last week that due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he left Russia forever and will not come back.
Photo caption,Rapper Face: "I apologize to the entire Ukrainian people for the suffering that our country has caused you" I finally refuse to recognize mine from this second," the musician wrote.
The rapper announced that he would no longer give concerts in Russia. "All concerts in Russia are canceled. For a refund - to the organizers. I'm tired of fighting for every performance, thank you," Face said.
The author of the photo, Vladimir Gerdo/TASS
Image caption,Film critic Anton Dolin: "The life of every person living in Russia, who speaks Russian or at least is involved in Russian culture, has changed irreversibly"
Famous Russian film critic Anton Dolin announced his departure from the country on March 6.
"We left. There are several reasons. Although in reality there is only one - the criminal war in Ukraine, initiated by the leadership of the Russian Federation. It is impossible to live in a country, even your own and beloved, where they shut your mouth. Especially for a person whose only tool is the word", - he wrote in his telegram channel.
Later, Dolin announced that he was no longer the editor-in-chief of the "Iskusstvo Kino" magazine and that he would not take part in the "Kino-Art" screenings for the time being.
Photo copyright, Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS
Photo caption,Tugan Sokhiev resigned as chief conductor of the Bolshoi Theater, saying he was being forced to make choices he was not capable of
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Last week, Tugan Sokhiev announced his resignation from the post of chief conductor of the Bolshoi Theater and from the post of musical director of the National Orchestra of the Capitole of Toulouse.
In an emotional statement on his Facebook page, Sokhiev wrote that he would always oppose conflict in any form, but now he is being forced to make a choice he is not capable of.
"Over the past few days, I have witnessed what I thought I would never see in my life. In Europe today, I am being forced to make a choice and prefer one member of my musical family to another. I am being forced to choose between two cultural traditions. I am forced to prefer one artist to another. I am forced to choose one singer instead of another. Soon I will be asked to choose between Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Shostakovich and Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy," wrote Sokhiev, whose statement is quoted by the Theater magazine.
According to him, this is already happening in Poland, where Russian music is supposedly banned.
At the same time, Sokhiev did not make it clear whether he supported or not the actions of the Russian military in Ukraine.
"We, the musicians, are called upon through the music of Shostakovich to remind of the horrors that befell mankind in the Second World War. We, the musicians, are the ambassadors of peace. Instead of using us and our music to unite nations and people, in Europe they are trying to divide us and ostracized," the conductor wrote.
The author of the photo, Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS
Photo caption,Director Ivan Vyrypaev: the Russian authorities are now waging a monstrous, criminal war in Ukraine by his plays.
The letter said that he plans to transfer the interest he received from ticket sales to aid funds for Ukraine, but only for peaceful purposes.
"Since the Russian authorities are now waging a monstrous, criminal war in Ukraine, I decided that I will transfer all royalties from performances on Russian - I emphasize, only state, stages, to funds to help victims of the war in Ukraine. Of course, only to peaceful organizations and in no case to the military," he said.
According to the "Teatr" magazine, now Vyrypaev's plays have started to be removed from the repertoire of Russian theaters.
March 13 with the wording "for technical reasons" was canceled the performance of the play "Excitement" in the Bolshoi Theater named after Tovstonogov - the author's production of Vyrypaev with Alisa Freindlikh in the title role. There are no other dates on the poster for "Unrest".
The most "star" Russian performance of recent years and the winner of the "Golden Mask-2020" - "Iranian Conference" staged by Viktor Ryzhakov was canceled at the Theater of Nations (22, 29March and April 16).
April 25 at the Moscow Pushkin Theater will not show "Solar Line" by Viktor Ryzhakov.
Photo copyright, EPA
Photo caption,Film director and screenwriter Kantemir Balagov: "Our hearts are with Ukraine and the people of Russia who stand up against this nightmare"
Director Kantemir Balagov also said on his Instagram on March 6 that left Russia.
"We left Russia. We are very sorry, and we are literally devastated. In an instant, our future was taken from us. Our lives were taken from us. Our parents and friends were taken from us. But they could not take one away - this is cinema. Our hearts are together with Ukraine and the people of Russia who oppose this nightmare,” wrote the director of the anti-war film “Dylda”.
This post is currently unavailable.
Meyerhold Elena Kovalskaya.
On her Facebook page on February 24, the day of the invasion, she wrote that she was resigning from her position, but that she would finish the work that had been started on a voluntary basis.