Russian ballerina Ilmira Bagautdinova danced Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake on the frozen waters of the Gulf of Finland to protest against the construction of a port in Batareinaya Bay in Russia.
“I had this idea because one of the unique features of this place is that swans are coming here to nest. And of course, a swan is the most known image in ballet,” Bagautdinova told Reuters.
Braving freezing temperatures in her pointe shoes and white tutu, Bagautdinova performed on the frozen waters. “It was my heartfelt plea to save this amazing place which is of a special meaning for me,” she said.
“It has a unique landscape, it’s shallow and has old-growth forest and swans come here every year. It is really beautiful and has all you need for happiness.”
Russia’s TASS news agency reported last year that the Baltic Grain Terminal, owned by the agro-industrial group Sodruzhestvo, planned to start building a 35-billion-rouble ($477 million) terminal on Batareinaya Bay.
“It would be great if after I danced in the gulf, the construction would stop and we could save this amazing natural spot. But I don’t think it’s that easy,” Bagautdinova said.
“But it is great that so many people support it, that people understand that we need to save nature, the ecology – it must be part of our culture,” she said.
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