By Staff correspondent and AAP Reuter
First published in The Sydney Morning Herald on June 18, 1961
Heavy guard for Russian ballet dancer
‘Protect me’ cry
Paris, Saturday. - A heavy security guard has been placed on a Russian ballet star who has been granted political asylum in France.
‘Protect me cry’: from the front page of The Sydney Morning Herald, June 18, 1961Credit: Sydney Morning Herald
The star, Rudolf Nureyev, 23, is believed to be hiding in a Paris suburb with French friends.
Nureyev, who has been hailed as a second Nijinsky, dashed to freedom at Paris Airport last night.
He evaded Russian security men who told him he would have to return to Moscow.
Nureyev had incurred Soviet displeasure, because of the “independence” he had shown in his three weeks’ stay in France, his friends said.
His friendship with a Chilean girl, Miss Clara Saint, 20, had also been “frowned on.”
The drama began as squad of Soviet security men in baggy trousers and sandals was ushering the Kirov Ballet of Leningrad towards a chartered plane for the flight to London.
Nureyev was holding a bouquet and talking to admirers.
Suddenly six guards crowded in on him and said, “You are not going to England, you are going on the Moscow plane.”
Nureyev paled and said, “Let me say goodbye to my friends.”
Then he leapt through the airport terminal shouting in English at the top of his voice, “I want to stay in France.
“These men are kidnapping me. I want French protection. I want to be free.”
Pandemonium broke out. English travellers in a queue pretended he was not there.
Angry diplomat
French officials seized the little dancer from the furious Russians and the shouting group retired to the airport police office.
On the doorstep, Russian Embassy Mikhail Kleimemov said angrily, “He is a Soviet citizen and we want him.”
The French police chief said, “This is France, monsieur.”
“Rudolf Nureyev (right) seen with Mr. Larrain, art director of the Marquis De Cuevas Ballt, in Paris.” June 23, 1961Credit: File photo
Kleimemov shouted, “Let me see him.”
The police chief replied, “He does not want to see you or anyone. He has asked for asylum and we cannot refuse him this right.”
Kleimemov: “But you have arrested him.”
The police chief (angrily): “What did you say? This man has just written a formal request for asylum and has placed himself under our protection.
“That’s all there is to it.”
‘He’s free, now’
He stormed into his office, leaving Mr Kleimemov and his baggy-trousered men baffled.
The next moment the police chief opened the door again and roared, “You tried to take this man by force back to Russia.
“He is now free to remain in France and there’s nothing you can do to change that. Good day!”
Inside the office, Nureyev was sitting, hair in disorder and shirt collar open, shouting, “I am finished with Russia. I will never return.”
Meanwhile Chilean-born Clara Saint sat at an airport bar talking about Nureyev.
“I cannot imagine him being involved in politics,” she said. “His whole life is dancing.”
Miss Saint said she first met Nureyev - he is unmarried - at a reception in Paris and he visited her family.
“But,” she added, “there is nothing serious between us. I don’t think I had anything to do with is decision today.”
Out on the tarmac other passengers went on board a Soviet jetliner bound for Moscow while the Kirov ballet flew off with B.E.A. for a season at Covent Garden.
In London they touched down to a welter of roses and carnations and a flood of contradictions.
The ballet administrator Valentin Bogdanov said, “There is no one missing.”
Mother ill
A blonde interpreter in a red leather jacket said, “Nureyev was called back to Russia for another performance.”
The director, Georg Korkin, said “His mother is seriously ill back home in Leningrad and he has had to go back there.”
Then Mr Korkin said, “We have several young men who can dance all the principal parts.
“We work as a team. We have come to bring friendship.”