In Moscow, two theater directors have resigned because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The long-standing director of the Meyerhold Center, Yelena Kowalskaja, wrote to her subscribers on the occasion: “Russia has invaded Ukraine, and I am writing you the last letter as director of the Meyerhold Center.

The Meyerhold Center is a state theater and I will not work for the criminal Putin state.” In addition, the artistic director of the Mayakovsky Theater Mindaugas Karbauskis resigned the day after the war began, but without giving an explanation.

In addition, the Museum of Contemporary Art Garage has postponed all exhibitions currently being prepared until a human and political tragedy is not taking place in Ukraine, as the museum's management announced.

In view of the events, one cannot maintain the illusion of normality, according to the museum management.

Meanwhile, Icelandic performance artist Ragnar Kjartansson has released his TV series remake Santa Barbara.

How to Prevent Colonization" in the GES-2 Cultural Center ended early.

Against the background of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he thinks it's wrong to continue the project, said Kjartansson, who thanked the GES-2 staff for their dedication and for putting their heart and soul into the production .

“Shows more Ukrainian art and culture”

The Bolshoi Theater postponed the premiere of the ballet Art of Fugue, which was due to be produced by choreographer Alexei Ratmansky.

Ratmanski, whose parents live in Kiev, left Russia because of the outbreak of the war.

Ratmanski said he hopes there will be a time when he will return to Moscow and complete the production.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth addressed museums, theaters and other institutions in Germany with a plea for more Ukrainian art and culture.

"The strengths of art and culture are beauty and vulnerability," said the Green politician in the appeal available to the German Press Agency.

She is therefore turning to all theaters, concert promoters, museums and cultural institutions with a request.

"Shows more Ukrainian art and culture." At the same time, Roth asked that Russian art and culture be shown as well.

The reactions of two large orchestras in Germany were very different.

The chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, Kirill Petrenko, sharply condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"Putin's insidious and illegal attack on Ukraine is a knife in the back of the whole peaceful world," Petrenko, a native of Omsk, Russia, said in a statement.

"It is also an attack on art, which is known to connect across all borders."

The chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic and Putin friend Valeri Gergiev is under pressure.

Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) had threatened to throw him out if he didn't clearly distance himself from the Russian war of aggression by Monday.

Other institutions, such as the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, also threatened Gergiev with canceling performances.

The Russian attack on Ukraine also has a direct impact on cultural relations between Russia and Germany.

The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, which is supported by the federal and state governments and is one of the most important cultural institutions internationally with numerous museums, collections and institutes, drew its first conclusions.

"As good as our cooperation was, given what is happening in Ukraine, we cannot just go back to business as usual," said Foundation President Hermann Parzinger.

"We have therefore put our projects and future plans on hold at the moment."

Parzinger also sees the Russian attack as a threat to cultural institutions in Ukraine.

“The dangers for cultural assets in Ukraine are very high.

We know that the attackers paid no attention to this," said the head of the foundation.

The Unesco commissions of more than 25 countries, including Germany, expressed their solidarity with Ukraine and pointed out that there are seven Unesco World Heritage sites in Ukraine.