Watch: Holocaust-Themed Ice Skating Dance By Putin Aide’s Wife, Tatiana Navka — Controversy Brewing


Holocaust on ice: Tatiana Navka, wife of Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, delivers a Holocaust-themed ice skating routine—and people are not happy.

The Holocaust in Nazi Germany has been a sore topic ever since, as it is one of the most sensitive and brutal events in the history of the world. This is why you can never take the subject too lightly. Films and other media material about the Holocaust demand great care, immense thought, and consideration, lest you inspire the ire of the people.

Who would’ve thought that a Holocaust-themed ice skating routine was in the works, too?

Just this Saturday night, controversies and disapproval were sparked as Olympic champion ice dancer Tatiana Navka performs a Holocaust-themed ice skating routine on Russian TV, the Huffington Post reports.

The world Olympic champion went live on Russian television’s Channel 1 show called Ice Age last night with her ice skating partner Roman Kostomarov and performed a Holocaust-inspired dance routine on ice. Complete with all the jumps, spins, lifts, and dramatic choreography native to the world of figure skating, Navka and Kostomarov performed their Holocaust dance on ice to the tune of “Beautiful That Way.”

“Beautiful That Way” was performed by Israeli singer Achinoam “Noa” Nini and was the official theme song of Holocaust-themed 1997 movie Life is Beautiful.

In an Instagram post, Tatiana Navka posts photos from the Holocaust-themed ice skating routine and explains that the whole concept of the dance was based from Life is Beautiful, one of her favorite movies. She also encourages the parents to let their children watch the said movie, adding in Russian that “Our children need to know and remember that terrible time, which I hope, God willing, they will never know!”

The show Ice Age is similar to the US’ Dancing with the Stars, where stars are paired with professionals to perform dance routines.

We can see in the video that Tatiana and her partner Kostomarov are wearing prison garb worn by Jewish concentration camp prisoners from the Holocaust period, which are black-and-white striped jumpsuits with yellow Star of David patches. Their makeup is also pushing it quite far, making them appear gaunt and malnourished. Although Tatiana’s Holocaust-inspired ice skating performance was received well by the audience (but whoever believes the genuineness of live audience anyway?), the ice skating routine has quickly stirred controversy online, where people are already demanding Tatiana and the show to apologize for trivializing the Holocaust into a romantic ice skating dance, Haaretzreports.

This is not the first time, however, that controversies are flying due to a Holocaust-themed dance performance. An episode of Russia’s Dancing with the Stars in April also featured a Foxtrotting Nazi dancing to Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon, Forwardreports. The dance shows actor Alexander Petrov as a World War II German soldier who dances with Anastasia Antelava, playing a Russian woman who hides from him in fear. The said Holocaust-inspired dance then ends with Antelava getting shot dead mid spin and Petrov also dying moments after.

Creators of the said show that aired the dance have apologized for the loose use of the Holocaust.

Tatiana Navka is known to be the wife of Dmitry Peskov, who is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson. With partner Roman Kostomarov, Tatiana Navka is a 2006 Olympic champion, a two-time World champion in 2004 and 2005, a three-time Grand Prix Final champion from 2003 to 2005, and a three-time European champion from 2004–2006.

Channel 1 has been contacted for comment regarding Tatiana Navka’s Holocaust-themed ice skating routine on Ice Age. An update will follow when they respond.

[Featured Image by Channel 1]

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