Why did the scandal break out?
On January 23, Krivokon was stripped of his reservation after the media, including Ukrayinska Pravda, reported that he and his wife took part in the ballet Swan Lake during a tour abroad with the United European Ballet. It was noted that the director of the ballet production was Russian artist Lev Ivanov.
The first to draw attention to the fact that Ukrainian artists are collaborating with Russians abroad was Ukrainian ballerina Victoria Zvarich on her social networks.
The Ministry of Culture confirmed that Krivokon and Matsak “performed and distributed a Russian cultural product” during their vacation, and noted that this is a violation of the general principled position of the artists of the National Opera of Ukraine – the removal of works by Russian composers from the current repertoire – which they have adhered to since February 24, 2022, in accordance with the law of Ukraine “On the condemnation and prohibition of propaganda of Russian imperial policies in Ukraine and decolonization of toponymy”.
The deprivation of Krivokon’s armor was reported on January 23 by the publication LB.ua, whose editors received an official response to their request from the National Opera of Ukraine.
“On the basis of their statements, according to the current legislation of Ukraine, the artists Matsak and Krivokon were granted leave. The theater was not aware of their plans, in particular, to participate in the performance of works of Russian classics, and we did not receive any information on this matter from them or from other sources. Subsequently, from social networks it became known about their participation in the Swan Lake ballet, which, of course, caused outrage, since it violates the norms of corporate ethics and the team’s decision regarding non-participation in performances by Russian authors. Taking into account the above, the booking of Krivokon was cancelled,” the opera noted.
What did Matsak and Krivokon say?
After the publicity, Matsak and Krivokon made their position public. In particular, the couple noted that after the scandal over the participation of the Russian composer Tchaikovsky in the ballet, they felt unnecessary in Ukraine.
“Officials showed fear of art and several subjective statements of individual bloggers, which represent only one point of view on a painful problem – the lack of a modern competitive repertoire of international level in Ukrainian ballet. This is what we tried to solve by showing “Shchedryk” on European stages on a level with established classics,” the column says. “The fear of the truth about the crisis on the main ballet stage of the country turned out to be stronger than common sense and professional responsibility. No one tried to figure it out.” what systemic problems caused a very atypical international scandal for ballet.”
The artists explained that a year ago they took part in a European tour.
“Among the productions was “Swan Lake” in the version of the Ukrainian choreographer Anatoly Shekera, which we performed after the production of “Shchedryk” against the backdrop of the Ukrainian flag. However, it was not the premiere of “Shchedryk” on European stages that interested the bureaucrats. The “swan” episode became the reason for the public attack,” the couple noted. “We, as citizens of Ukraine, did not violate a single official law. Indeed, in There is no direct ban on imperial choreography in Ukraine, which is why it is still present on Kyiv stages in different interpretations.”
Matsak and Krivokon emphasized that they “suffered unfair legal consequences.”
“The cancellation of Sergei Krivokon’s reservation, threats of dismissal, crushing damage to reputation, threats and groundless insults on social networks,” they listed. “The discussion about the identity of Tchaikovsky, who, whether we like it or not, is a world ballet classic, completely eclipsed what we worked for all our lives. Until 2022, the composer was considered “ours” – with Ukrainian roots, although the war is on was already in the east. And now they suddenly forgot about the origin of Tchaikovsky, and that “Swan Lake” was created in Ukraine, and that the author himself was a friend of Nikolai Lysenko, on whom the National Opera still rests.”
Matsak and Krivokon added that today Ukraine is faced with a choice.
“Either the Russians return to the stage and dance the classics in their productions, or we, the Ukrainians, show our own interpretation of the classics, while simultaneously looking for resources to create a new Ukrainian art,” the couple believe. “And now about the most painful thing. Since 2014, since Ukraine officially set a course to move away from the Russian-Soviet heritage, not a single truly successful original Ukrainian ballet production has appeared on the main ballet stage of the country. Not a single one.”
The couple believe that the problem is not their participation in the European tour, but “the lack of a strategic vision of where to go for Ukrainian ballet, which is stuck between the past and the future.”
“We are forced to ask the state directly – what exactly are you ready to do for the development of Ukrainian ballet? Why is there still no clear law or official position: what is allowed and what is prohibited? What is acceptable and what is not for all performers and theaters? The state is engaged in a witch hunt: canceling people, canceling freedom of creativity, preserving fear. In such conditions, it is impossible to create modern Ukraine. How many more Ukrainian artists should leave the country? How many more will be banned a profession for the sake of a moment’s hype? Ukraine, for which we raised millions, promoted it on the best stages in the world and carry its name in our hearts with love – it is ours too,” the couple concluded.
