Famous Lithuanian ice skaters Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas are due to appear in Sochi at an event hosted by the wife of the Kremlin's spokesperson. This has led to calls to strip the pair of a state award they had received 20 years ago.
“I didn't believe it, I really hoped it was a lie, I'm shocked,” said Daina Gudzinevičiūtė, president of Lithuania’s International Olympic Committee (LTOK).
“I can neither understand nor justify this decision. They finished their careers a long time ago, we don't keep in touch, Povilas is not a personal friend of mine, but it's very strange, very strange,” she added.
Starting tomorrow, the pair are due to take part in a Swan Lake ballet on ice in Sochi, hosted by Tatyana Navka, wife of Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Margarita Drobiazko, originally a Russian national, and Povilas Vanagas represented Lithuania at five Olympic Games and ten international championships. Then, in various interviews, the athletes talked about how important Lithuania is to them.
“All the routines are built in Lithuania and it is very important for us,” Drobiazko previously said. After retiring, the couple stayed in Russia.
According to Virgilijus Alekna, a Lithuanian Olympic champion and chairman of the parliamentary Youth and Sports Affairs Commission, the organisers of the ballet are “people connected to the power structures”.
“If you take part in their event, you identify yourself with those people [who support the war],” he said.
In 2000, the pair received a state award, the Order of the Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania, 5th degree.
After the pair decided to appear in Sochi, some commentators and politicians proposed to withdraw the award.
“I think it would be a logical, proportionate measure to withdraw the award because the state that has given it has a clear position on the issue,” said Andrius Mazuronis, a member of the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defence.
Some lawmakers in Lithuania have also proposed to revoke the Lithuanian citizenship given to Drobiazko.
However, Viktoras Fiodorovas, vice-chairman of the Seimas Youth and Sports Affairs Committee, said the pair had given a lot to Lithuania in the past.
“They were awarded for their past services to Lithuania – they made Lithuania famous,” he said. “They have skated with the name of Lithuania, they have made many achievements – this has been recognised.”
Drobiazko herself reacted to the criticism by sharing on social media a poem by the Russian poet Bulat Okudzhava, who said that one should think about oneself before criticising others.
After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Drobiazko shared a social media post titled “no to war”. LRT has been unable to contact the ice skaters.
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