The Power Within: The Kyiv Independent’s first-ever magazine. Be among the first to get it.

pre-order now
Skip to content
Edit post

Ukrainian skater performs with red stain on shirt to draw attention to Russian attacks

by Elsa Court January 13, 2024 10:57 AM 2 min read
Ivan Shmuratko competes in the Men's Free Skating during the ISU European Figure Skating Championships at Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas, Lithuania, on Jan. 12, 2024. (Joosep Martinson - International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Ukrainian figure skater Ivan Shmuratko performed a routine with a blood-red stain on his shirt to draw attention to civilians killed by Russian missile attacks, Suspilne reported on Jan. 12.

The 22-year-old skater, who represented Ukraine at the 2022 Olympic Games and is a four-time national champion, performed during the men's free skating section at the European Figure Skating Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania.

Shmuratko told Suspilne that the stain shows "more than can be conveyed with words" since "people die from rockets like that, from blood."

In the men's short program section on Jan. 10, Shmuratko also used his performance to draw attention to Russia's continued mass attacks against Ukrainian civilians.

According to Suspilne, the routine "showed the story of a child who is killed by a rocket, as well as a father who continues to live with it."

Shmuratko, who is from Kyiv, trained in France and Germany following the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

He later decided to return to Kyiv, explaining that he "went back to train in Ukraine because it's my home."

Official: Russia’s full-scale invasion has killed over 400 Ukrainian athletes
Some in Russia have complained about supposed unfairness of only being able to compete without the Russian flag, said Vadym Gutzeit, the head of Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee. “We’re losing people... Is that fair to us?” he added.

News Feed

8:08 PM

Ukrainians react to US proposal of recognizing Crimea as Russian.

The U.S. media outlet Axios reported on April 23 that the U.S. President Donald Trump administration's final proposal for ending the Russia-Ukraine war included the U.S. de jure recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea and de facto recognizing its control of other occupied Ukrainian territories. We asked Kyiv residents for their reactions to the U.S. proposal.
7:21 PM  (Updated: )

Trump says 'nobody is asking' Ukraine to recognize Crimea as Russian.

"Nobody is asking (President Volodymyr) Zelensky to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory, but if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?" U.S. President Donald Trump wrote.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.