Show by Kremlin spokesman’s wife
Appearance in Russia costs figure skater citizenship
September 15, 2023, 10:37 p.m
The figure skating duo Vanagas/Drobiazko competes for Lithuania at the Winter Olympics five times. There is now trouble because of her appearance at a show by Russian ice dancer Tatjana Nawka: This is seen as support for Russia. Lithuania’s president reacts harshly.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has revoked ice dancer Margarita Drobiazko’s Lithuanian citizenship, which had once been granted to her for special services. The head of state of the Baltic EU and NATO country has signed a corresponding decree, his spokesman told the BNS agency. Nauseda followed a recommendation from the Lithuanian Citizenship Commission, which justified this with Drobiazko’s publicly expressed support for Russia.
The Russian-born Drobiazko, who received citizenship of the Baltic state in 1993, has been married to the Lithuanian ice dancer Povilas Vanagas since 2000. The couple currently lives in Russia. It had taken part in ice shows organized by Russian ice dancer Tatyana Nawka – she is the wife of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Drobiazko declined an invitation to the commission meeting at which the withdrawal was decided. Instead, she published an open letter during the week. In it she wrote that she was not involved in Russian propaganda, but rather brought the “light of culture and goodness” with her husband. Nauseda had already replied before his decision: “I think that people who want to carry the light of culture and good with the boots of the attacker should continue to do so – without the citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania.” Nauseda had previously stripped them of a Lithuanian medal.
The Drobiazko/Vanagas duo represented Lithuania at a total of five Olympic Games between 1992 and 2006, more than any other figure skating pair, according to consistent reports. In 2000 they won bronze at the World and European Championships, and in 2006 they won bronze again at the European Championships. Her best Olympic result was 5th at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games.