Mikhail Baryshnikov supported Kirill Serebrennikov

Today, October 2, the ballet dancer, actor and choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov published a letter in which he expressed solidarity with the artistic director of the Gogol Center Theater, director Kirill Serebrennikov, under house arrest.

At the request of Baryshnikov, who does not use social networks, writer Boris Akunin posted a letter on his Facebook. Colta.ru gives the text of the letter completely:

Dear Cyril!

Mikhail Baryshnikov writes to you, understanding your isolation. I hope this letter will get to you. I often think about what is happening to you, and therefore is upset, alarmed and excited about what is happening.

I recall our meeting in New York many years ago, as well as recent conversations about the possible show of your performances in our center (Baryshnikov Center in New York.-Ed. ). I hope that we will ever implement this project. This is important for everyone - for you, for your wonderful actors, for our public, for me personally, and, finally, for the Russian theater.

I thought that, living for a long time in the free world, it is easy to forget about the horror of the ugliness and injustice that existed, there are and, I am afraid, will exist in Russia for a long time.

Hold on, dear Cyril. Of course, you know that officials, investigators, prosecutors and their supreme bosses are deeply, firmly and incorrigibly mediocre. Their only talent is the talent of the executioner, which is expressed against the backdrop of unlimited power and individual manic obscurantism.

Office of people do not interfere with officials to sleep well. The artist’s creative torment, doubts in their own creative forces in the process, say, on the play, on the set, near the empty canvas or at the ballet machine, are unknown to them. These torments are sometimes much more painful and tragic than any physical torture. These people can put anyone under the castle, humiliate unreasonable accusations, try to make a public laughingh from a person. But they will not succeed.

The day will come when everything that happens to you will be remembered with disgust as an unsuccessful attempt to "cut everyone under one comb."

Once again I want to say - hold on. Know that you have a lot of friends and admirers. I am one of them.

Yours, MB