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For Ukrainians, the UK’s unwavering support – from its governments to its people and cultural institutions like the Royal Ballet and Opera – has been a vital source of strength and hope amid Russia’s brutal war of aggression.
It is, therefore, with great pain that we witness the Royal Opera House inviting Anna Netrebko – a longtime symbol of cultural propaganda for a regime that is responsible for serious war crimes – to return to its stage in title roles.
Even more troubling is the statement by the chief executive of the Royal Ballet and Opera suggesting that its earlier support for Ukraine “was aligned with the global consensus at the time” and that its position has since changed due to “complex geopolitics”.
We must ask: do Russia’s recent escalated attacks on peaceful Ukrainian cities and civilians and its intentional and systematic attempts to erase Ukrainian culture fall into this category of complexity, somehow justifying Netrebko’s return? Can the Royal Opera credibly claim neutrality and integrity while offering its stage to someone who, in 2014, publicly waved the flag of “Novorossiya”, the Kremlin’s separatist project in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, parts of which remain under Russian military occupation?
The Royal Opera now faces a defining choice: between status and responsibility, between profit and values, between silence and conscience. We urge you to remain, as you consistently have, on the ethical side of art – and of history.
Sergiy Kyslytsya First deputy foreign minister of Ukraine
Andriy Kurkov Author, PEN Ukraine
Helen Clark Former prime minister of New Zealand
Alex Sobel MP Labour (Co-op), Leeds Central and Headingley, and chair, all-party parliamentary group on Ukraine
John Whittingdale MP Vice-chair, all-party parliamentary group on Ukraine; member, foreign affairs committee
Roger Gale MP Conservative, Herne Bay and Sandwich
Scott Arthur MP Labour, Edinburgh South West
Chris Law MP SNP, Dundee Central
Blair McDougall MP Labour, East Renfrewshire; member, foreign affairs committee
Johanna Baxter MP Labour, Paisley and Renfrewshire South
Bernard-Henri Lévy Philosopher, journalist, film-maker and public intellectual
Mstyslav Chernov Producer, film-maker
Serhiy Zhadan Author, translator
Roza Tapanova Director, Babyn Yar national historical and memorial reserve
Kathy Nalywajko President, Ukrainian Institute of America
Lydia Zaininger Executive director, Ukrainian Institute of America
Bohdana Pivnenko Violinist, general director and artistic director, National Ensemble of Soloists Kyiv Camerata
Svitlana Azarova Composer, The Hague, Netherlands
Dr Olesya Khromeychuk Historian, writer, director of the Ukrainian Institute London
Olia Hercules Chef, award-winning author and activist
Petro Rewko Chairman of the board of directors, Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain
Fedir Kurlak Chief executive and member of the board, Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain
Iryna Terlecky Chair, Ukrainian Women’s Association; board member, Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain
Inna Hryhorovych Chair, Association of Ukrainian Teachers in Great Britain; director, Ukrainian St Mary’s Trust
Anna Fedeczko Chair, Ukrainian Youth Association in Great Britain
Dr Roman Cregg President, Ukrainian Medical Association of the UK
Viktoriya Shtanko CEO, Ukraine Appeal
Natalia Ravlyuk Director, Support Ukraine/London EuroMaidan
Iryna Rapiy Deputy director of Support Ukraine/board committee member of AUGB London
Dr Tetyana Vovnyanko Trustee, British-Ukrainian Aid
Marta Mulyak Head, Plast Ukrainian Scouts in Great Britain
Mick Antoniw MS Senedd4Ukraine group
Danylo Nikiforov Founder, Ukrainian Students Union in the UK
Prof Dennis Ougrin Vice-president, Ukrainian Medical Association of the United Kingdom
Alex Lidagovsky Sculptor
Aliona Hlivco Founder and CEO, St James’s Foreign Policy Group
Kateryna Babkina Writer
Dasha Nepochatova DPhil student, New College, University of Oxford
Alexandra Kutas Disability advocate and humanitarian leader
Maria Springis Director, producer and filmmaker, Dreams Into Reality Production
Oksana Lovochkina CEO, Ukrainian Medical Charity
Dr Olha Mukha Senior strategist in strategic communications and human rights
Antonina Grebeniuk Founder, Ukraine Aid and Welfare, Bristol
Alina Luts Founder and director, Ukrainian Social Club CIC
Kseniia Iaremych Legal counsel
Maria Romanenko Journalist, editor, public speaker and activist
Vadym Granovskiy United Kingdom Cezve/Ibrik champion and barista
Ela Czuruk Group, lead volunteer, 1st Plast London Ukrainian Scouts
Tetyana Birch Executive trustee, The Chernobyl Relief Foundation in the UK
Nataliia Horbenko Director, Ukrainian Art House in London
Oksana Miletska Trustee, Women Fight For Ukraine Foundation
Viktoriya Kiose Journalist and director, UABeyond
Kostiantyn Bidnenko Film-maker and producer
Prof Olga Onuch Professor of comparative and Ukrainian politics, University of Manchester
Dr Daria Mattingly Senior lecturer in European history, University of Chichester
Ivan Kozlenko Writer, film scholar, University of Cambridge
