Russian figure skaters took to the ice to the Ukrainian song “Shchedryk”
Russian figure skaters Maria Fefelova and Artam Valov competed in the ISU Junior Grand Prix—the first international tournament for Russian athletes since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For their performance, they used an instrumental composition based on Mykola Leontovych’s “Shchedryk,” which sparked outrage among Ukrainian fans and parts of the international audience.
Fefelova and Valov competed in the ice dance event. They took to the ice to a mix of “V for Vivaldi” and an instrumental version of Tommy Profit’s “Carol of the Bells.” This composition is based on the world-famous Ukrainian “Shchedryk” by Mykola Leontovych.
It was precisely this choice of music that sparked a storm of reactions on social media. Users pointed out that the Russian athletes used a Ukrainian piece immediately after Russian representatives returned to international competitions.
Related footage and discussions appeared, in particular, on Reddit. One user suggested that this choice may have been deliberate and could be perceived as a way to show contempt for Ukrainian athletes. “If the Russian Figure Skating Federation really planned to strike a blow against all Ukrainian figure skaters, they couldn’t have imagined a more malicious way to do it,” he wrote.
According to him, due to the schedule, the ice dancers were the first to take the ice. As a result, the Ukrainian piece was played practically at the very start of the competition. “They skated to ‘Shchedryk,’ a Ukrainian song that has taken on special significance during the war. I am genuinely shocked that their coaches and the Russian Figure Skating Federation acted this way,” the user noted.
Nothing unusual—it’s just that Russian juniors are skating to the Ukrainian song “Shchedryk” at the international Grand Prix of Figure Skating. They only allowed
this trash into the competition, and they’ve already shown their true colors
pic.twitter.com/Eis5MSkFyp— lis (@aimellisse) August 20, 2026
However, there is no confirmation that the Russian figure skaters or their coaches deliberately chose the music specifically to provoke. Reactions on social media are based on the very fact that the music was used and the context of Russian athletes’ return to the international arena. Ukrainian Threads users also reacted to the performance. Some ironically noted that not even a day had passed since the Russians’ return to international sports “without Russia stealing something from Ukraine.”
The Russians returned after a long hiatus
The appearance of Fefelova and Valov at the Junior Grand Prix was part of the return of Russian figure skaters to international competition after a long absence due to sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Earlier, the International Skating Union (ISU) decided to allow Russian and Belarusian juniors to compete internationally under neutral status, subject to established conditions.
Against this backdrop, the use of “Shchedryk” in the Russian pair’s performance drew particular attention. Leontovych’s composition has long been known worldwide, particularly thanks to numerous foreign versions, but its Ukrainian origin remains an integral part of the piece’s history. Therefore, the Russian figure skaters’ performance to music based on “Shchedryk” sparked a strong reaction precisely as Russian athletes were beginning to return to the international arena. Users on Reddit took note of this.
