Ukrainian artists and other members of Cape Town’s Ukrainian community protested outside the Artscape Theatre against the performance of “Swan Lake” hosted by the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre.

Demonstrators claim the company’s name has been withheld from the theatre’s marketing material since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Kateryna Aloshyna, a Ukrainian artist and anti-war activist attending the protest said they’re calling on the South African artistic communities and government to support the cultural boycott of Russia as Ukraine had supported the cultural boycott of Apartheid South Africa.

Cape Town, 12 July 2023: Ukrainian artists and other members of Cape Town’s Ukrainian community protested outside the Artscape Theatre against the performance of “Swan Lake”. The company which hosts the performance is the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre. The protestors claim the company’s name has been withheld from the theatre’s marketing material since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Kateryna Aloshyna, a Ukrainian artist and anti-war activist attending the protest said they’re calling on the South African artistic communities and government to support the cultural boycott of Russia as Ukraine had supported the cultural boycott of Apartheid South Africa.

South Africa is a member of BRICS with Russia and President Cyril Ramaphosa recently headed and African leaders peace mission to Ukraine and Russia. South Africa has chosen to take a non-partisan stance on the war between Russia and Ukraine.