The Russian pavilion will not be participating in the Edmonton Heritage Festival next month due to safety concerns, according to organizers. In a statement on July 7, the Edmonton Heritage Festival Association (EHFA) explained that after a lengthy consultation process with both the Ukrainian and Russian pavilions, no solution could be reached. The EHFA board acknowledged the existence of conflicts and stated that they could not be ignored. The decision to exclude the Russian pavilion came after Ukrainian organizations and community members urged the association to do so, citing the ongoing war between the two nations.
The EHFA also mentioned receiving threats demanding the ban, without specifying the nature or source of the threats. The Edmonton Police Service advised increased security measures in the event that the Russian pavilion was included in the festival. Last year, the Russian pavilion organizers voluntarily withdrew from the festival due to incidents related to the war. The EHFA acknowledged that while these incidents did not pose a safety threat, they highlighted the potential risks. They expressed concern that incidents and safety risks could occur if the Russian pavilion participated this year.
Natalia Pociurko, president of the Friends of the Ukrainian Heritage Pavilion Society, supported the EHFA’s decision, emphasizing the ongoing war in Ukraine and the loss of innocent lives. The Russian Heritage Cultural Development Association (RHCDA) responded by criticizing the city’s inability to guarantee safety and accusing them of excluding a group of Canadians based on their ethnic background.
The article also mentioned cancellations and attacks on Russian cultural entities in Canada and Western countries since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. These include the cancellation of concerts and performances by Russian artists, as well as acts of vandalism against Russian community centers and backlash against Russian businesses.
The Edmonton Heritage Festival is scheduled to take place from August 5 to August 7.