Ilmira Bagrautinova, a Russian ballerina performs scenes from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake on the frozen Gulf of Finland in full costume. She came from the world-renowned Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia.
The performance wasn’t just a moment of beautiful ballet, but an eco-activism statement to protect the species that nest in a snowy area now jeopardized by the potential construction of a new port.
This is her way of objecting against the construction of a port in Batareinaya Bay, a popular beach about 100 km west of St Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city.
Bagrautinova danced in -15C and posted her videos online. As she explains, she hopes her performance will save real swans which nest in the bay.
She even launched an online petition to protest against the construction.
Source: BBC, Classic FM, Ilmira Bagrautinova