The scandalous ballet's premiere coincided with the Russian Orthodox Church's recent decision not to canonize Rasputin, as radical clergymen had proposed.
The depiction of Czar Nicholas II raised similar objections. The czar and his family were recently canonized and now there are hundreds of icons in Russian churches with the czar and his family praying with Christ. To many Russian Orthodox Christians, Valery Lantratov dancing as the czar seemed like sacrilege and the romantic duet between Rasputin and the czarina borders on blasphemy.
The director of the ballet, Georgy Kovtun, a choreographer from St. Petersburg, believes that Alexandra Fyodorovna had an affair with Rasputin. Most historians agree, however, that the story was created by Rasputin's enemies in the early 20th century.
"Even in the atheistic Soviet era," said monarchist Viktor Antonov, an editor of Imperial Courier magazine, "such blasphemy was unheard of, no one dared mention the names of Nicholas Alexandrovich and his inner circle in such an irreverent tone. This show will be a present to those who celebrate Halloween, and it is no accident that its opening coincides with the devilish holiday."
Most likely Antonov has not seen the ballet and will never see it. For him and many others the topic is unacceptable and they dismiss any aesthetic interpretations out. No matter how remarkable Kovtun's ballet is, how well Ruzimatov and Lantratov danced or how good Vladimir Kachesov's music is, their negative bias will never let them appreciate it. And their outrage will grow even stronger if they learn that composer Vladimir Kachesov won the Weber International Music Contest.
As the ballet's premiere demonstrates, even after the formal abolition of censorship, a significant part of Russia vehemently opposes any artistic innovation, and would ban it if they had the authority.
In my opinion the production's aesthetic value outweighs doubts over the ethical appropriateness of representing a canonized czar in dance.
After all, art is part of a social convention that human life can be shown on stage or on canvass in its totality.
In response to his son Titus' reproach for the imposition of heavy tax on public toilets, Roman Emperor Vespasian famously remarked: "Money does not smell." Nor does art, for that matter.
Unfortunately, "Rasputin" is vulnerable to criticism, because the show was produced for foreign tours. Just one indication is that its sets include more than a hundred costumes. And incorporated in the soundtrack are recorded songs of the Don Cossack Choir, led by Petia Khudyakov.
The need to recoup the high production costs must have prompted the company to opt for a provocative reading of Rasputin's life. This sinister name is actually one of Russia's best promoted brands, alongside Russian caviar, Russian vodka, and the Russian bear. That is why the production has so many trimmings traditionally associated with Russia in the west, including church bells, prayer, and Gypsy songs.
In this sense, the show has something in common with Chez Rasputin-the bar that has just opened in the wing of the riverfront Yusupov Palace, where Rasputin was assassinated. Death on the menu! Sounds thrilling, doesn't it?
Well, it seems that the show's masterminds got what they wanted. Their new ballet is surrounded in controversy. It is about to go on tourin Ukraine and will then head to Moscow.
