Margarita Drobyazko and Povilas Vanagas

On August 10, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda signed a decree depriving figure skaters Povilas Vanagas and Margarita Drobiazko of the Knight’s Cross of the Order of the Grand Duke Gediminas. This was due to the fact that the skaters performed in the Russian ice show “Swan Lake”, the wife of the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov and the Olympic champion Tatyana Navka.

Nauseda referred to the special operation in Ukraine (quote from TASS).

Today the story continues. Povilas Vanagas’ mother, Liliya Vanagene, who is also the head of the Lithuanian Skating Federation, apologized for her son’s participation in Tatyana Navka’s show.

– Excerpts from the Delphi portal.

Margarita Drobyazko and Povilas Vanagas

However, Lilia Vanagene noted that her son has been living in Moscow since he was 18 (currently Povilas is 52 years old) and together with Margarita “created his future outside of Lithuania”.

– announced his son’s decision not to refuse to act in the Russian show.

Margarita Drobyazko was born in Moscow, but after the collapse of the USSR, together with her partner Povilas Vanagas, she decided to represent Lithuania and received the citizenship of this country as an exception. Along with Povilas, he took part in five Olympic Games (1992, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006). Since 2000, skaters have been married she.

That same year, skaters won one stage of the Skate Canada Grand Prix series, winning bronze medals in the Grand Prix series finals, European Championships and World Championships. After that, skaters were awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Gediminas for services rendered to Lithuania. Now Nauseda noted that legislation needs to be revised so that the issue of Drobiazko’s deprivation of Lithuanian citizenship can be discussed.

The performances of the program “Swan Lake”, where the scandal broke out, began on August 9 in Sochi. It will continue until September 18. Drobyazko plays the role of Odile as the black swan, and Vanagas – the Sorceress.