National Academic Drama Theater. Ivan Franko canceled his participation in the X Theater Olympics in Budapest due to the inclusion of Russians in the program, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine announced on May 1.

The theater was supposed to participate in the Olympics along with the performances of Arturo Hui's Career and Caligula, and agreed to participate after the organizers promised that there would be no representatives of Russia in the program.

However, recently the program of the Olympics was supplemented with the REX performance staged by the artistic director of the Alexandrinsky Theater Valery Fokin. Also, as part of the Olympics, his film " We are talking about a Russian actor who actively supports the war against Ukraine..

The theater noted that in a letter to the organizers dated January 19, they noted a firm position that calls to find a “dialogue without politics” and restore “destroyed bridges” with Russian artists are absolutely unacceptable.

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“Our theater sincerely aspired to join the great world theatrical event and did a great job of preparing the showing of Ukrainian performances in Budapest, but we cannot agree with the dubious “neighborhood” in the Theater Olympics program,” the theater said in a Facebook statement..

The Theater noted that they understand the importance of presenting Ukrainian culture abroad and are constantly working to develop international cooperation with colleagues from all over the world, however, they adhere to an unshakable position regarding the impossibility of participating in international events to which representatives of a terrorist country and persons justifying Russian aggression are invited.