• Olga Smirnova rehearses with Victor Caixeta, a soloist who left the Mariinsky and also joined the Dutch National Ballet, in Amsterdam, on April 1. Smirnova, who opposes the Russian invasion of Ukraine, left the Bolshoi in Moscow and moved to Amsterdam, where she joined the Dutch National Ballet. | MELISSA SCHRIEK / THE NEW YORK TIMES
    Olga Smirnova rehearses with Victor Caixeta, a soloist who left the Mariinsky and also joined the Dutch National Ballet, in Amsterdam, on April 1. Smirnova, who opposes the Russian invasion of Ukraine, left the Bolshoi in Moscow and moved to Amsterdam, where she joined the Dutch National Ballet. | MELISSA SCHRIEK / THE NEW YORK TIMES
  • SHARE

AMSTERDAM – Just days after the invasion of Ukraine, Olga Smirnova, one of Russia’s most important ballerinas, posted an emotional statement on Telegram, the messaging app. “I am against war with all the fibers of my soul,” she wrote.

“I never thought I would be ashamed of Russia,” she added, “but now I feel that a line has been drawn that separates the before and the after.”

Unable to view this article?

This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software.

Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites.

If this does not resolve the issue or you are unable to add the domains to your allowlist, please see out this support page.

We humbly apologize for the inconvenience.

In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

PHOTO GALLERY (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

, ,