On October 21, 2026, the tour of the Moscow Regional State Academic Theater “Russian Ballet” under the direction of Vyacheslav Gordeev will begin in Modi’in. Six days later, on October 27, elections to the Knesset, the country’s parliament, will be held in Israel. The troupe is scheduled to perform in eight cities until November 3.
Author: Lev Varshavsky
Anyone who remembers “Swan Lake” in August 1991 has already smirked. But Tchaikovsky has nothing to do with it. The biography of the touring state ensemble and its leader is more interesting.
Swans against the backdrop of tanks
On August 19, 1991, the State Committee on the State of Emergency (GKChP) announced itself in the USSR. Its participants tried to remove Mikhail Gorbachev from power; troops were brought into Moscow. Central television was showing “Swan Lake.”
There is evidence that the recording was included in the broadcast schedule even before the coup, but it was during the coup that the ballet became a symbol of the information blockade. The coup attempt failed on August 21.
For Israelis who did not live in the USSR at that time: the political meaning was given to the ballet not by the composer and artists, but by the circumstances of the television broadcast.
What the theater says about itself
In the list of Russian cultural figures published on March 11, 2014, who supported Putin’s position on Ukraine and Crimea, Vyacheslav Gordeev is listed as number 28. The appearance of this appeal was reported, in particular, by Kommersant.
This is a public political position recorded during the Russian capture of the Ukrainian peninsula.
In March 2026, according to its own report, the theater toured the occupied Crimea, calling it part of southern Russia.
But there are other events of this year.
On February 22, 2026, the theater announced a concert at the officers’ club of military unit No. 19889. Among the audience, it named officers, soldiers, cadets, and “participants of the SVO” — as the Russian authorities designate the invasion of Ukraine.
The program included an adagio from “Swan Lake.” The garrison presented the ensemble with a certificate of appreciation.
Official report of the theater from February 22, 2026.
On June 14, according to another official report, the artists performed in the military town of Mozhaisk-10, where the families of military personnel, including participants in the war, were located. Gratitude was received from the command of the military unit and the Officers’ House of the Ministry of Defense of Russia.
Official report of the theater from June 15, 2026.
These facts do not allow us to judge the political views of each dancer. However, both concerts are a documented part of the theater’s public activities.
NANews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency
There have already been objections in Israel
Back in May 2022, Anna Zharova from the organization “Israeli Friends of Ukraine” publicly protested against Gordeev’s tour, recalling his name on the 2014 list. This was reported by the Israeli press at the time.
In 2024, a new petition against the troupe’s performances appeared.
Thus, it is not about claims invented in the midst of the Israeli election campaign. Questions to this ensemble were raised long before the current tour.
Lapid, Kariv, Netanyahu: the Russian question on the Israeli stage
On September 16, former Prime Minister Yair Lapid stated: “Russia is now an ally of Iran.”
And he promised that if his camp returns to power, aid to Ukraine will be broader than in 2022.
On October 1, Gilad Kariv, a member of the “Democrats” party, called to stop Russian attacks on Ukraine and wrote that Israel should stand on the side of its citizens.
He spoke after the funeral of Daniel Umansky — a 14-year-old Israeli who previously studied in Tel Aviv and died in a Russian strike on Kyiv.
On October 18, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responding to a question about Russia, also acknowledged: the interests of Moscow and Jerusalem sometimes clash.
He pointed to Moscow’s cooperation with Iran and anti-Semitic campaigns by bot networks against Israel. These are the words of the prime minister, not the conclusion of our investigation.
Israeli politicians argue about many things, but concern about Russian cooperation with Iran is now voiced not only by the opposition.
For a country confronting the Iranian threat, this is not a peripheral topic.
“No political winds”?
In the Israeli announcement of the tour, Gordeev says:
“No political winds affect the climate in concert halls.”
Organizers promise “Swan Lake” in Modi’in, Be’er Sheva, Rishon LeZion, Karmiel, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Petah Tikva, and Kiryat Motzkin. Tickets are 165–365 shekels.
The promotional text talks about art as a messenger of peace but does not mention the theater’s performances for Russian military personnel.
The coincidence of the tour with the elections does not imply any secret pre-election plan. But the audience has the right to know not only the repertoire but also verifiable facts about the activities of the state theater.
Organizers and the ensemble’s leadership can publicly explain their attitude to these facts.
Tchaikovsky’s ballet is not responsible for the war. However, the public reputation of the ensemble is partly formed by where and for whom it performs.
“Swan Lake” can be loved without any politics. But this does not mean that journalists are obliged to remain silent about the activities of the theater that performs it.