After it was blocked, Russia’s last independent TV channel decided to leave the airwaves with a final sign of resistance, airing the ‘Swan Lake’ ballet as a true nod to Russian media history.
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The Russian government on Tuesday demanded the closure of TV Rain and an equally independent radio channel, accusing them of broadcasting “false information” about the invasion of Ukraine.
The television channel therefore held its last show on Thursday evening, but chose to leave in a bang by broadcasting an extract from Piotr Tchaikovsky’s ballet, CNN reported.
This is a symbolic gesture in Russia, since “Swan Lake” had been played repeatedly on Soviet channels during key moments in its history, notably during the failed coup in 1991 against Mikhail Gorbachev.
The ballet was then streamed, telling viewers something was wrong.