Former Royal Ballet star Sergei Poluninsaid he is leaving Russia with his family despite being a vocal supporter of President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s invasion of his native Ukraine.
“My soul is not in its place,” Polunin, who was born in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and acquired Russian citizenship in 2018, wrote on his Telegram channel late Sunday.
“My time in Russia has expired a long time ago, as if I’ve fulfilled my mission here for now,” he said.
Polunin, 35, has three tattoos of Putin on his chest and shoulders, as well as a Ukrainian trident on his right hand.
Polunin was appointed director of the Sevastopol Opera and Ballet Theater in annexed Crimea in 2019.
Despite being an outspoken supporter of President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s invasion of his home country of Ukraine, Sergei Polunin, a former member of the Royal Ballet, announced that he and his family are leaving Russia.
Born in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and granted Russian citizenship in 2018, Polunin posted on his Telegram channel late Sunday, saying, “My soul is not in its place.”.
“It seems like my mission here is now complete, as my time in Russia has long since ended,” he stated. “Russians are incredibly compassionate and kind people. I can only hope that the soul will be at peace and in its proper place because it is still unclear where we will go next. “.”.
The dancer reportedly complained in the summer about receiving unsolicited packages in the mail and said he was worried that one of them might contain an explosive device, according to the RBC news outlet. It was unclear at first whether those worries had anything to do with his decision to leave Russia.
Polunin, 35, has a Ukrainian trident tattooed on his right hand and three images of Putin on his shoulders and chest. In the past, he assisted in setting up fundraising events for Russian troops serving in Ukraine and served as one of Putin’s stand-ins during this year’s presidential election.
Following internet criticism following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Polunin’s performance in Italy was canceled, and he received reprimands from Uzbek authorities for performing a pro-war show that did not follow a prearranged schedule.
As the youngest male principal in the history of the London-based Royal Ballet, Polunin gained notoriety as a “bad boy of ballet” in 2010. Two years later, he departed for Russia to work as a principal dancer at the Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet and the Stanislavsky Music Theater in Moscow.
The Sevastopol Opera and Ballet Theater in annexed Crimea was directed by Polunin in 2019.
