Olga Smirnova, the Bolshoi Ballet’s prima ballerina of Moscow, and the world’s leading ballet companies quit as a protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here’s everything you need to know about her.
Who is Olga Smirnova?
Olga Smirnova, the prima ballerina of Bolshoi Ballet quit by stating that “I am against war with all the fibers of my soul,” on telegram. Since then, she defected to the Netherlands and will be performing with the Dutch national ballet. Trained by Ludmila Kovaleva in the Vaganova Academy, she grew up in St. Petersburg before moving to Moscow for her career. She is a part of complex performances such as Swan lake, Anna Karenina, Giselle, and The Taming of the Shrew. In 2016, she became the prima ballerina of Bolshoi ballet. According to her, she is “a responsible person who likes to plan and set clear goals for herself. Over time I have also learned to enjoy the moment. To cherish what I have today and the memories that it will bring to me later”.
“It’s a very special feeling to dance on its world-famous stage. I feel it’s great that the theatre can afford to mount large-scale classical productions, involving large numbers of soloists and corps dancers, and that we are so conscientious about preserving our classical heritage. While maintaining my classical repertoire, I also have opportunities to take part in new creations and modern works, and to work directly with the greatest choreographers of our time,” she said at the time.
At the mere age of 21, the Guardian called her “the company’s newest, brightest star…awesome” in 2013. “Tall and amber-eyed, with a regal set to her head, expressive arms, and long swayback legs, she is the physically perfect instrument of her art form. To this, add restraint and purity of line which makes all that uber-dancing that so many ballerinas have fallen prey to in recent years – all those oversplit jetés and arabesque penchées, all those music-blurring hyperextensions – look overblown and passé,” describe the Guardian in detail.
No to war: Pleas from the artists
Olga Smirnova calls herself a quarter Ukrainian since she has a Ukrainian grandfather. In a modern and enlightened world, I expect civilized societies to resolve political matters only through peaceful negotiations. I never thought I would be ashamed of Russia, I have always been proud of talented Russian people, of our cultural and athletic achievements. But now I feel that a line has been drawn that separates the before and the after. It hurts that people are dying, that people are losing the roofs over their heads or are forced to abandon their homes. And who would have thought a few weeks ago that all of this would happen? We may not be at the epicenter of the military conflict, but we cannot remain indifferent to this global catastrophe,” said Smirnova.
The Dutch National ballet located in Amsterdam has welcomed her with open arms. She will be staring as the heroine of Raymonda on April 3. However, she is not the only one to quit the Bolshoi Ballet. Jacopo Tissi from Italy and David Motta Soares of Brazil also quit the ballet company. They are the top solo performers of the Bolshoi. On the other hand, the New York Metropolitan Opera sacked star soprano Anna Netrebko. It is cutting ties with art organizations and performers with Russia. According to the organization, it is “until the invasion and killing stop. The order has been restored, and restitution has been made”.
Additionally, several artists across various genres have been very vocal against the war. Ivan Urgant, a late-night host was taken off air following his Instagram post captioned “Fear and pain. No to war”.Moreover, several cultural organizations are voicing their discontent. The state is taking steps to silence the members by issuing a gag order to the artist. “It’s impossible to work for a murderer and receive your salary from him,” stated Elena Kovalskaya. Kovalskaya is an artist and the director of Meyerhold Center, a state-financed theatre in Moscow.
