Excluded with a scandal: Putinist ballerina will not perform at a gala concert in Rome

The organisers of the famous ballet show Les Etoiles, which is to take place on 20 and 21 March in Rome, have officially removed Svetlana Zakharova, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, from the list of participants. Political past: The 46-year-old ballerina, although born in Ukraine, is an ardent supporter of the Russian dictator. From 2008 to 2012, she was a member of the State Duma from Putin's United Russia party. This is not the first time the artist has been cancelled in Italy. In January, her performance was blocked in Florence after strong protests from the Ukrainian embassy.