Protest against a Russian ballet in Lamezia Terme, Calabria
During a performance of Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker” at the Teatro Grandinetti in Lamezia Terme, in the province of Catanzaro in Calabria, activists, volunteers and Ukrainian patriots braved dreadful weather to protest for the third time against Russian propaganda and against a show staged by Russians.
7 January 2024
The first joint action, aimed at getting the provocative performance by the Moscow ballet cancelled, took place with the participation of the associations “Svitanok” (from several towns) and “Kolos” of Soverato and representatives of the association “Free Ukraine in Italy”.
14 January 2024
The second action took place, joined by Ukrainians from Cosenza and the association “S.A.L.O. Calabrese”.
19 January 2024
The third action was organised on the very day of the performance, with representatives of the associations “Svitanok”, “Kolos” and “Free Ukraine in Italy”.
The activists voiced their convictions loudly, chanting: “We want to pass on our country, our love and our hearts to our children. We intend to hand down our culture, our language, our faith and the universal democratic heritage to those who come after us. We must deny any opportunity for propaganda performances against Ukraine and explain to local people the danger of getting involved with Russia.”
Unfortunately, the protest did not achieve the desired result, and the activists did not succeed in getting the ballet performance cancelled. The authorities did not show enough will to take such a step. Dozens of letters had been sent in advance to the organisers of the show and to public bodies, including the Prefect, demanding that the event be cancelled. Sadly, none of these appeals received a reply.
Ukrainians showed their resilience: the setback did not shake their resolve or their readiness to remain a strong national community.
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“Together we are many, we cannot be defeated…” – the lines of the song by the well-known Ukrainian band GreenJolly unite the hearts and spirit of Ukrainians.
