Ukraine culture minister calls on world to halt Nutcracker
NewsOleksandr Tkachenko (pic, left) calls today in the Guardian for a Tchaikovsky ban ‘until Russia ceases its bloody invasion’.
He writes: ‘Russia isn’t just physically attacking Ukraine; it is also trying to destroy our culture and memory. In the occupied territories, Ukrainian libraries have been liquidated, the word “Ukraine” has been erased, and Ukrainian museums have been destroyed. Our ministry of culture and information policy has recorded more than 800 cases of destruction: monuments and works of arts, museums, valuable historical buildings.
‘This war is a civilisational battle over culture and history. On 5 September this year, Vladimir Putin signed a decree that refers to the “Russian peace”. The Kremlin made clear in the document that culture was a tool and even a weapon in the hands of the government, and that it would actively use all the opportunities available to it, from promoting Russian ballet to protecting the rights of Russian speakers abroad, in order to advance its interests….
‘Boycotting Russian culture is an important step. We’re not talking about cancelling Tchaikovsky, but rather about pausing performances of his works until Russia ceases its bloody invasion. Ukrainian cultural venues have already done this with him and other Russian composers. We’re calling on our allies to do the same. Already, many of the theatres and cultural venues that previously refused to perform Russian music or to cooperate with Russian artists who support the war have since renewed their ties. And Ukrainian culture has so much to offer. Our composers have produced masterpieces, and our writers should be no less esteemed than their Russian counterparts.’
A misstep in the propaganda war?
This is a silly suggestion and bad / dangerous trajectory. In fact, I find that it undermines the Western efforts even. This is not against the Russian people or culture, this is against a hideous dictator.
Like Handel’s Messiah, the holiday season obsession with the Nutcracker is essentially an American phenomenon, not a Russian one.
Yeah – nope, nope and nope, Mr Ukrainian Culture Minister.
And if the Tchaikovsky competition happens next year, I shall happily tune into the livestream.
Ukraine has nationalized the press, banned opposition, seized oppositions’ property, has one state run tv station, imprisioned and “disappearing” journalists, banned the Russian language, banned at least 70% of the Ukraine Orthodox Church while seizing their property, and this idiot wants to ban Russian music. Slava Ukraine my ass.
Absolutely spot on. In fact, let’s rename Britain as United Kingdom of New Ukraine, and actually, the whole of Western Europe too. All citizens will learn to speak Ukrainian on pain of death, and be force fed 3hrs of great Ukrainian music a day as a compulsory service, of which 60 minutes will be its national anthem on loop.
What is this obsession with “asses”????
I agree with your comment, but why the final vulgar phrase?
Won’t give you my thumb up, sorry.
Gilda: ‘This war is a civilisational battle over culture and history, says the culture minister. Thus, he wants to cancel the Nutcracker. It seems very logical and absolutely necessary, we just have got to do it. However, I’m not sure. I have seen the Nutcracker every Christmas since I was a little girl, and it’s kind of season’s event for me even today. Who can be afraid of the Nutcracker?
Billy: ‘Nuts, of course.’
Gilda: ‘Put the blame on Mame boys, put the blame on Mame”.
Why not just skip the Russian Dance and do the Tarantella twice?
I couldn’t agree more! While we’re at it, we desperately need to toss the Nazi music of Richard Strauss onto the fire as well. Only disgusting tRump cultists would disagree! Our democracies will simply never be safe with this fascist music flitting about the airwaves.
Remember, for some lowbrow readers of this blog, be sure to tag satire!
Richard Strauss role in the Nazi party is unclear. However it is well documented that he helped in the rescue of many Jewish musicians in Germany and Austria. Unlike Furtwangler and von Karajan who went on to careers post Nazi in the culture wars of the cold war.
Very unlike the Vienna Philharmonic which somehow doesn’t recall it had a fair number of Jewish physicians who were banned after theAnschluss.
Here we go again…..Tiresome…
Meanwhile, Ukrainian oligarchs are celebrating in all the most expensive restaurants in Vienna. But neither the Nutcracker nor those nuts have anything to do with the ongoing Russian aggression.
Don’t forget getting israeli citizenship just in case
Tchaikovsky was gay, so a boycott of his music could be viewed as homophobic.
In which case Russia too would join the ban – the only thing they could agree upon, sadly.
Ukraine is getting tiresome.
So are you – Pro-Putin Troll !
I am sure Tchaikovsky was a putinist. #letcancelculturecancelculture
He absolutely would have been, but that’s no reason to ban his music.
Fight totalitarism by acting totalitarian yourself. This is just sad to read.
Yes it is definitely a misstep. There is a huge difference between boycotting those Russian artists who actively support the dictator and his criminal war (which is perfectly reasonable) on the one hand and boycotting fine music by the outstanding composer who died 129 years ago (which makes no sense) on the other. It would be better to do just the opposite of the latter – perform his music and celebrate the other best achievements by Russian culture of the past thus showing the world that unlike many Russians you do know the difference.
I couldn’t agree more, M2N2K.
Well stated.
Who knew Tschaikowsky was a supporter of Putin? This is getting ridiculous and amounts to slandering the reputation of a long dead and great artist. Great artists belong to the world not just to one country.
I think Tchaikovsky has by now transcended the “Russian culture” identifier.
The BBC is an interesting template : during WW2 they continued to broadcast Bach, Beethoven , Brahms and even Wagner. Living composers and those within copyright / receipt of royalty were another matter. Belonging to the Axis powers , Verdi and Puccini also fell under this latter category .
Tchaikovsky is not only part of Russian culture, he is part of an universal culture belonging to everyone. As it would be silly to reserve Bach for Germans only. The BBC did broadcast German music during WW II. Even a lot. Toscanini conducted Wagner during the whole war. Did really anybody think that not listening to a Beethoven symphony or a Bach passion or the Good Friday Spell does help to gain victory ? Or that Beethoven was the one to fight against ? Quite the contrary I believe. Tchaikovsky is part of a better world, a world we should not give away.
I am sorry, as much as I condemn the bloody invasion of Ukraine – but what good does that do to boycott the performance of a long deceased Russian composer? Does it help Russia to play the Nutcracker? Or Ukraine to not play it?
I can see to ban artists that do not condemn the war or modern composers in Russia playing into Putins hand. But this is ridiculous. So, lets burn books by Puschkin, Tolstoi and Pasternak?