Protest against the Russian in the jury: Ukrainian artist was expelled from the festival in Italy

Anna Petrenko did not take a stage with the Ukrainian flag and leaflets against Maxim Nikulin, who supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian artist Anna Petrenko was disqualified from the circus festival in Italy, because she protested against a member of the jury of the director of the Moscow State Circus and the son of the famous actor of the USSR Maxim Nikulin, who supports the invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine. The artist told about it on Instagram.

On the footage posted by Anna, you can see how at the beginning of the room it appears on stage wrapped in the Ukrainian flag. In her hands, the girl holds a piece of paper with the inscription: "Niculin supports the invasion of Ukraine. " She also showed a shot of Nikulin surrounded by people in military uniform. Then the girl went down to the hall, where she began to distribute similar postcards to the audience.

Anna herself explained that she did not know about the presence in the jury of Nikulin when she went to the festival. She called his presence an attempt to rehabilitate the image of the Russian Federation. The artist stated that under the direction of Maxim Nikulin, the Moscow State Circus is granted benefits for the participants of the so -called "their" and their children. Moreover, the circus artists perform to the Russian invaders.

Nikulin himself, as Anna noted, told that he helps the occupiers and support the Kremlin's actions. "Some people started watching me through the festival, and I consider it a good reason to remind you of it: art is not apolitical, and I am too. All I do here is trying to introduce my wonderful country and its culture while we are fighting for ours Independence, freedom and democracy in the world, ”the girl wrote.

At the same time, according to Corriere Del Veneto, the head of the festival Antonio Jarol apologized to the public, saying that he did not know that the Ukrainian woman was going. At the same time, Antonio Jarol said that this year the Russians were invited in the jury, because other art festivals did so. According to him, among the participants of the festival 11 Ukrainians and 3 Russians.

This allegedly "confirms" the status of the event as a symbol of "unity" according to the traditions of the circus. Jarol stated that before inviting Nikulin, he asked to become a jury of two circus figures from Ukraine, but they refused. According to him, he considers himself "deceived" because of Anna's actions. He believes that the Ukrainian knew that Niculin was in the jury because she performed in the previous shows.

"She could refuse to participate, and I would understand it, but she wanted to raise a noise in a place where political flags have no value," Jarol said. We will remind, the Foreign Ministry responded to the screening of the film about Russian military in Toronto.