SVT: Ballet company with Russian ties masquerades as Ukrainian in Sweden

A ballet troupe marketing itself as Ukrainian while touring Sweden was exposed as having significant Russian connections, according to an investigation by Swedish public broadcaster SVT.

Many European cultural institutions have severed ties with Russian artists and organizations due to their perceived association with or support for the Russian state, which is seen as complicit in the war.

Some boycotts target institutions like the Bolshoi Theatre, which are funded by or closely linked to the Russian government, seen as using culture for political propaganda.

The arts are perceived as an extension of soft power, so limiting Russian cultural exports could help weaken its global influence.

A ballet company that recently performed The Nutcracker in eight Swedish cities under the name Ballet of Ukraine has substantial connections to Russia, operating as what industry experts term a “clone troupe,” according to SVT. 

The company listed a Kyiv address on its website that SVT reporters found housed only an office building and shopping mall—with no ballet studio present.

The investigation revealed the company’s booking agent, Touring Actors, operates on a Russian server and is owned by a Russian citizen registered as a business operator in Moscow who pays taxes in Russia.

SVT also discovered that half of the dancers listed on the company’s website—7 out of 14—are actively working in Russia.

“We can’t find either a Ukrainian or Russian company that has received money from Sweden,” SVT reports.

Instead, proceeds from at least six Swedish performances were paid to a Swiss AI company owned by a former Russian banker.

Ukrainian cultural officials warned about this phenomenon before. The National Opera in Kyiv issued warnings about “clone troupes” touring under false pretenses as early as 2022.

“The number of ballet companies claiming to be Ukrainian has now become so many that it is difficult to keep track of them,” said Lana Roxy, press secretary of the National Opera in Kyiv. “They are making money from our misery.”

The artistic director of Ballet of Ukraine claimed the dancer list on their website was outdated, though SVT notes this same list was used by the booking company to promote the tour.

Meanwhile, the Russian businessman behind the booking company dismissed allegations about Russian connections as a “smear campaign” and claimed Ballet of Ukraine does not employ Russian dancers.

Both Ballet of Ukraine and Touring Actors have since removed their websites.

Using facial recognition technology and analysis of social media accounts, SVT determined that the person identified as the owner of Ballet of Ukraine studied in both Lviv, Ukraine, and Moscow, worked in Ukraine and Russia, and currently operates a ballet school in Germany while teaching at a Russian ballet company. The individual is not registered as an entrepreneur in Ukraine, and the company does not appear in the Ukrainian analytical database YouControl.

Several Swedish venues that hosted the performances stated they will revise their booking procedures following these revelations.