Dancer Xander Parish leaves Mariinsky: away from Russia until peace comes

Culture and art in Russia continue to lose pieces. The chain of renunciations and resignations does not stop, and now one of the world’s greatest dancers is also leaving the country: he is Xander Parish, British, born in 1987, principal dancer of the Mariinsky Ballet, the corps de ballet of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, one of the most famous and historic companies in the world.

Parish decided to leave Russia and his role at the Mariinsky because of the war in Ukraine, as he explained in a social post. In his brief resignation letter, he also expressed his sympathy for his colleague Yekaterina Chebykina, a soloist at the Mariinsky Ballet and a Ukrainian national.

“Dear friends and followers,” Parish wrote yesterday, “tonight I was supposed to perform at the Mariinsky Theater but instead, because of the terrible crisis, I have made the difficult decision to leave Russia, at least until peace comes. My heart goes out to the Ukrainian people near and far, including Yekaterina Chebykina [...]. I am grateful to the Mariinsky Theater, which, thanks to Jurij Fateev, took me in twelve years ago and gave me a career in classical ballet that I could only dream of. I am grateful to the wonderful Russian people, most of whom treated me with such kindness. I pray that peace will come and that the wounds will be healed by God’s grace. Thank you to all of you who have sent me messages over the past few days and forgive me if I have not had time to respond.”

Pictured: Xander Parish and Yekaterina Chebykina

Dancer Xander Parish leaves Mariinsky: away from Russia until peace comes

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