▲Evgeny Plushenko (40)

Famous Russian figure skater Yevgeny Plushenko (40) wrote a post saying, "I am proud of my country as a Russian" and "Stop discrimination against Russians", causing scrutiny around the world.



On the 6th of local time, Plushenko posted a long article through her SNS account along with a picture of her pointing to the front with her finger while staring at the camera with a gold medal in the figure skating team event at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.



In English, the article said, "I am Russian. I am proud to be Russian. I worked out in St. Petersburg and now I am working in Moscow. I have won 4 medals in 4 Olympics for my country Russia." Stop it, stop the genocide.”



He then added the hashtag '#stoprussianhate (stop hating Russians)' in Russian, saying, "Russians, raise your heads. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Let's take pride in being Russian."



As sanctions against Russia continued around the world, such as participation in political, economic, and sports competitions, Plushenko raised a voice, and he called Russia's sanctions "racist" in each country and called "Russians, raise your heads." Controversy arose after posting remarks that seemed to support aggression. 


▲Evgeny Plushenko's SNS


Earlier on the 2nd local time, Plushenko criticized the decision to exclude Russian athletes from the International Ice Skating Federation and the International Olympic Committee through his SNS, saying, "We must not confuse sports with politics. I earnestly hope. I believe in our president," and received international criticism for advocating the war of aggression, but less than a week later, another article with a similar purpose was posted. 



In the comment box, critics from fans around the world continued, but some fans expressed their concern, saying, "We don't hate the Russian people, we hate war."



On the other hand, Plushenko was nicknamed “Tsar on Ice” and “Shakespeare on Ice” due to his overwhelming technical skills and expressive power during his time as an athlete. He played an active role as a legendary figure skating athlete in Russia, winning a total of four medals: a silver medal at the Olympics and a gold medal in the figure skating team event at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics 



.