MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th November, 2022) The Americans "deeply respect" Russian culture and do not plan to cancel it in the United States despite the fact that some events with participation of Russia's artists have been withdrawn in the country in light of the events in Ukraine, US Charge d'Affaires in Moscow Elizabeth Rood told RIA Novosti.
"In terms of our bilateral relationship, in addition to keeping our embassy open and doing everything that we can in that regard. We're also working very hard to keep our people to people contacts, our cultural ties, our educational ties open and functioning in line with our deep and abiding respect for Russian culture, Russian arts, Russian literature," Rood said.
At the same time, there have been some cases when Russian artists have not been "welcomed where they were intending to perform" due to their support for the country's special operation in Ukraine, the US diplomat added.
"That is not the same as saying that there is any effort in the United States to so-call cancel Russian culture. Russian culture has a place in the hearts of the American people, in our universities in our libraries, in our theaters, and our concert halls. It's alive and well and very welcome," Rood told RIA Novosti.
In particular, now, when Christmas holidays are approaching, US ballet companies and schools have started staging The Nutcracker by Russia's outstanding composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, according to the US charge d'affaires. Moreover, in October, the San Francisco Opera staged Eugene Onegin, also composed by Tchaikovsky. The New York Philharmonic will perform Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony and the Sixth Symphony of another world-famous Russian pianist, Dmitri Shostakovich, in early December.
"In bookstores, in libraries and universities across the United States, shelves are full of Russian literature. American students and American people buy those books, read those books study that literature with great interest," the US diplomat added.
Many Western states have canceled shows by Russian performers, removed Russian literature from educational programs and demolished monuments dedicated to prominent Russian individuals, following the start of the country's special military operation in Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly accused the West of pursuing the policy of belligerent Russophobia and trying to minimize the importance of Russia's culture in the world history.
