6. SPBT Spokesperson Aleksandr Andreychuk Struggles with the Truth

Avel

08 Dec 2024 — 4 min read

Not Everyone reads Uppsala Nya Tidning – Here’s a summary of The Heritage Ballet’s ongoing crisis

The Heritage Ballet’s communications department, represented by “Alex Andrechuk,” provided the following response to the newspaper Uppsala Nya Tidning last week. The following is a summary of the article:

When UNT inquired about alleged ties to Russia, the company responded via email, stating that they had been subjected to a "shocking attack," which they described as an attempt to undermine their brand. They firmly deny receiving any funding from the Russian state.

According to the email, SPBT Entertainment is an advertising company that originally promoted the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre, explaining why the abbreviation remains part of the company name. Additionally, a poster featuring Russian ballerina Irina Kolesnikova remains in use for historical reasons, but she is no longer associated with the organization.

The company emphasizes that the two ballet ensembles are “completely separate, fundamentally different in nature, with no legal ties and separate owners.” They added that the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre ceased operations in 2022 due to COVID-19 and the political situation in Ukraine. While they acknowledge that the name may cause confusion, they dismiss any claims that the Russian ballet is active in Sweden.

Link to the article in UNT (paywall)

For those familiar with Ukrainian names, surnames ending in "-chuk" are common, particularly in Western Ukraine. Alex Andrechuk could leverage this to highlight a Ukrainian connection, if one exists, or draw attention to any Ukrainian dancers in the company. However, no such statements are mentioned in the UNT article.

Is Aleksandr Andreychuk actually from a city in Western Russia?

The name Alex Andrechuk, at any rate, does not sound particularly Czech, and questions remain about where this “communications department” is located, given that SPBT appears to be a shell company based in an apartment in Prague.

Whether Alex is an experienced communications professional or not is unclear, but the company’s transparency is severely lacking. It’s also surprising that Sergey Kuryerov, the company’s russian owner, hasn’t stepped forward to defend his brand. Instead, he seems to rely on Alex – a strategy that does not appear to be working.

According to reports from Ukrainian groups in South Africa, the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre performed Swan Lake in July and August 2023, despite protests. Demonstrators pointed out that the company pays taxes in Russia, thereby indirectly funding Russia’s war in Ukraine and the genocide of Ukrainians.

Alex from SPBT Entertainment s.r.o in UNT statement:

“ – Since 2022, the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre has completely ceased operations due to COVID and the current political situation (in Ukraine).”

Ukrainians protesting in South Africa 2023:

“In July and August 2023, the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre (SPBT) is scheduled to perform Swan Lake in South Africa.
As a commercial company, SPBT pays taxes in Russia and thus indirectly finances Russia’s war in Ukraine and the genocide of Ukrainians.”

Source: Change.org Petition

So why does Alex emphasize that SPBT has ceased it´s operations in 2022 when it apparently toured in South Africa 2023?

Why do neither the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre, 'Czech' company SPBT Entertainment s.r.o, The Heritage Ballet, nor any of their representatives publicly distance themselves from Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine?

The future of The Heritage Ballet’s tour in Sweden remains uncertain, but with their current strategy, it does not look promising.

Want to Take Action?

Here’s a link to the petition against The Heritage Ballet’s performances in Sweden. Nearly 600 people have signed so far. Please support Ukraine in all contexts and remember those on the front lines.

Link to the petition

In 2023, a happy visitor to South Africa show writes on the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre's Instagram:

"I've just come from seeing this stunning ballet at Teatro Montecasino in South Africa 🇿🇦. It was so beautiful 👏🏼! Is there anywhere where a person can see who is in the corps de ballet?"

71 weeks ago, then. But Alex at SPBT Entertainment s.r.o claims that this lady making the comment in 2023 has misunderstood what ballet she actually saw? He argues that SPBT completely ceased operations in 2022 due to the war in Ukraine, among other reasons...

Here is Irina Kolesnikova from SPBT in the promo video for SPBT 2023 South Africa tour(screen shots):