By Ashley Young-
The Royal Opera House have cancelled a tour from Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet , adding to the danctions against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
The Moscow-based ballet company, who were set to return to London this summer, has been called off following the heavy bombarding of Kiev by air strikes and Russian fighters closed in on Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
Kremlin was also stripped of two prestigious events to be held in their Russia in response to the bloody air strikes in Ukraine that has so far killed hundreds of people. The UK, the EU and The U.S are poised to intensify sanctions against Russia in a bid to frustrate the dictator and make him feel the consequences of his actions.
The Champions League football final in May has also been moved to Paris and September’s Formula One’s Russian Grand Prix has been cancelled. The move is part of potentially many more to come in a united front against the despotic acts of president Putin. The cancellations will together have some effect on Russia, but how the defiant Russian leader will react to them remains to be seen. Putin usually engages in tit for tat actions as he finds himself on the receiving end of punitive measures.
In a statement, the Royal Opera House said: “A summer season of the Bolshoi Ballet at the Royal Opera House had been in the final stages of planning.
“Unfortunately, under the current circumstances, the season cannot now go ahead.”
It comes as the Kremlin was also stripped of two prestigious events to be held in their country.
.They began with Yury Grigorovich’s Spartacus, accompanied by the Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre – who are known as one of the best symphony orchestras in the world.
The Bolshoi Ballet also performed a production of Swan Lake, The Bright Stream and Don Quixote during that time.