In July and August 2023, the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre (SPBT) is scheduled to perform Swan Lake in South Africa. 

As a commercial company, SPBT pays taxes in Russia and thus indirectly finances Russia's war in Ukraine and the genocide of Ukrainians.

From 24 February 2022 — which marked the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine — to 12 March 2023, the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has recorded 21,965 civilian casualties in Ukraine.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also caused food prices to spike and will continue to threaten global food security until Russia withdraws from Ukraine. Ukraine accounts for 10% of the global wheat market, 15% of the corn market, and 13% of the barley market. Ukraine also accounts for almost half of the sunflower oil market. 

The South African companies facilitating SPBT's tour in South Africa (Artscape Theatre, Teatro at Montecasino, and Computicket) have dipped their hands in the blood of Ukrainians by partnering with SPBT.

As Desmond Tutu said, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Given our country’s history, we as South Africans should be firm in our stance against genocide. While not providing direct financial support to Russia, Computicket, Teatro at Montecasino, and Artscape’s decision to host SPBT means that they are indirectly funding Russia’s war.

We condemn the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre's tour in South Africa as well as the Artscape Theatre, Teatro at Montecasino, and Computicket's collaboration with the Russian war machine.

We urge South Africans to boycott the ballet and call on Computicket, Teatro, and Artscape to pull out of their partnership with the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre.

We demand that Computicket, Teatro, and Artscape cancel the ballet shows and refund people who have bought tickets.

 

 

 

 

UPDATE (18 December 2024): SPBT continues to perform abroad. To make it easier for others to organise petitions and present evidence to the media in their countries, we've decided to make our research available to the public.

Document 1:  Our main campaign document. 

A detailed overview of the campaign to protest the performances of the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre (SPBT) in South Africa during 2023. It highlights the connections between SPBT and the russian state, military, and propaganda. It counters claims that russian culture is separate from its state by highlighting SPBT’s involvement in military events and the pro-putin stance of prominent russian ballet figures. It also includes screenshots of the registration records of SPBT, as well as links to the public records.

Document 2: Ties to the russian state, military, and financial irregularities

This document provides evidence of the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre’s (SPBT) connections to the Russian state and military through its past collaboration with the Western Military District Song and Dance Ensemble and its former use of the House of Officers as its office. It details financial troubles, including court cases, tax issues, and enforcement proceedings against SPBT, and highlights potential misuse of funds, with ties to state-controlled entities like VTB Bank. Key figures like Irina Kolesnikova and Elena Belyaeva are linked to suspicious housing market operations, suggesting financial irregularities. The document underscores SPBT's deep ties to Russian state institutions and questionable financial practices.

Document 3: Consolidated

A consolidation of documents 1 and 2, condensed for the media.