#olga smirnova
Victor Caixeta and Olga Smirnova in rehearsal for Rachel Beaujean’s production of Raymonda
ph. Rob van Woerkom
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![Ледокол [The Icebreaker] (Nikolay Khomeriki - 2016)](https://64.media.tumblr.com/23bd36e0fc642809b00af80341aae10c/1a3aa914a7da3647-dc/s1280x1920/a5bdd6b30bff83c4b6443808e87d55bd2f49d108.jpg "Ледокол [The Icebreaker] (Nikolay Khomeriki - 2016)")
![Ледокол [The Icebreaker] (Nikolay Khomeriki - 2016)](https://64.media.tumblr.com/60cee043e112c2dcab6e2f09d1c8cb62/1a3aa914a7da3647-43/s1280x1920/86429ed6fd6b41ebe225b3f84fc961791b5e97a6.jpg "Ледокол [The Icebreaker] (Nikolay Khomeriki - 2016)")
![Ледокол [The Icebreaker] (Nikolay Khomeriki - 2016)](https://64.media.tumblr.com/ca05739fc9222624c0b6c0823c2f17e4/1a3aa914a7da3647-c3/s1280x1920/fd8d24c326fcd5c635e756c6a3848bcc5617b1b2.jpg "Ледокол [The Icebreaker] (Nikolay Khomeriki - 2016)")
Ballerina Olga Smirnova, 30, has condemned Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and left Russia. Smirnova had been the Bolshoi Ballet’s prima ballerina since 2016. She will begin dancing with the Dutch National Ballet immediately.
“I never thought I would be ashamed of Russia. I have always been proud of talented Russian people, of our cultural and artistic achievements. But now I feel a line has been drawn that separates the before and the after.”
Smirnova had been scheduled to dance the lead role in Swan Lake on Saturday at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. The performance is now cancelled.
