MOSCOW (Reuters) – Sergei Polunin, a former star at London’s Royal Ballet, said on Wednesday that he had decided to leave Russia with his family, complaining that his “soul” did not feel like it was in its right place.
Ukrainian-born Polunin, 35, has had a sometimes tempestuous but garlanded career so far.
He became the Royal Ballet’s youngest ever principal at the age of 20 before abruptly leaving two years later, has received numerous international awards for his dancing, and has performed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and at La Scala in Milan.
Though born in Ukraine’s Kherson, Polunin has been a vocal supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, sporting three tattoos on his body bearing the Kremlin chief’s likeness. He has spoken in favour of Russia’s war in his native Ukraine and has acquired Russian citizenship.
“My soul is not in its place. Thank you for everything Russia has done for me. There comes a time when my soul feels like it is not where it should be,” he said in a post on his official Instagram channel announcing his departure.
“My time in Russia expired a long time ago and it’s as if I have fulfilled my mission here for now,” he added, without elaborating.
Polunin said he did not yet know where he was moving.
His statement comes days after the Russian government appointed a new director general of the Sevastopol State Opera and Ballet Theatre in Russian-annexed Crimea, a post which Polunin used to occupy.
(Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Gareth Jones)
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