Nino Sukhishvili, the head of the Georgian National Ballet “Sukhishvili”, has issued an appeal.

Sukhishvili states that over the years, numerous unfounded accusations have been made against them, which they believe to be true.

“I would even mention that we allegedly danced on Rustaveli Avenue on May 26, which is not true; or casting doubt on our attitude towards Russia. I think we shouldn’t pay attention to this. We have nothing to justify or defend. Moreover, we don’t need to apologize to anyone.

I would also like to mention the petition. Many thanks to everyone who responded to the events around us. Thank you for your love and support, but I think this is not necessary either. This will only aggravate the already tense situation in the country, and this will lead to even more unnecessary cursing, which we have already become accustomed to, but we really don’t like this. I think there is no need to escalate this.

I believe you, my people. Many thanks for your love, support, sharing our success and the attitude that we feel every minute, whether it’s in the hall, at the concert, on the street, in a store, in a pharmacy, or in a cafe. There is no greater reward for a person than this. Thank you very much. We love you all very much, regardless of what you think of us,” said Nino Sukhishvili in a video message.

A few days ago, speaking to the media, Nino Sukhishvili stated her position that she would never go to Russia on behalf of the state ensemble, because 20% of the country is occupied. She also noted that Russia has never had a friendly attitude towards Georgia, and does not have one now. Her statement was followed by a sharp political response, including from representatives of the ruling Georgian Dream party. Earlier, archive material from 2013 was distributed on social networks, according to which Nino and Iliko Sukhishvilis participated in a program on a Russian TV channel. Government representatives and supporters accused the Sukhishvilis of “double standards.”