Will Russian ballerina Svetlana Zakharova be participating in Italy dance gala this month?

ROME: Celebrated Russian ballerina Svetlana Zakharova will not take part in a dance gala in Rome this month, as cultural events continue to be affected by tensions between Russia and Western countries.

Zakharova, a leading figure at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre and known supporter of Vladimir Putin, had been scheduled to perform at the “Les Étoiles” gala on March 20–21 in the Italian capital.

Organisers said the decision followed institutional communications emphasising the symbolic responsibility of cultural institutions in the current political climate. They expressed concern that the event could be “misunderstood or exploited,” despite their intention to promote unity through art.

The move comes amid Italy’s strong political stance on the war in Ukraine, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who supports sanctions against Russia.

Zakharova’s exclusion follows other controversial cultural decisions, including the reopening of the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale, which had been closed since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini criticised the decision, calling it “Russophobia” and arguing that excluding Russian artists does not help resolve the conflict.

Italy has faced similar situations before. Last year, authorities cancelled a concert near Naples due to the planned appearance of Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, who is also seen as close to Putin.

Zakharova, 46, was born in Ukraine during the Soviet era and previously served as a member of parliament for Putin’s United Russia party. Earlier this year, she was also removed from a festival in Florence following objections from the Ukrainian embassy.