An Italian theater on Friday canceled performances by a famous Russian dancer who has three tattoos of President Vladimir Putin on his chest and shoulders due to Internet pressure, Reuters reported.

Serhii Polunin’s performances on January 28 and 29 at Milan’s “Archimboldi” theater have been canceled “due to a constant campaign (against him) on the Internet and social networks,” the theater said on its website.

Polunin was supposed to star in the ballet “Rasputin – Dance Drama”, which was originally scheduled for 2019 and was repeatedly postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The theater said the cancellation was an act of “political and moral responsibility” given the “atmosphere of tension and threats”.

A spokeswoman said the theater had been subjected to an email campaign as well as numerous negative messages online.

Archimboldi, who said he made the decision with the consent of the artist’s company, said he was categorically against the war in Ukraine, noting that he had arranged performances by the Russian dissident group Pussy Riot and Ukrainian artists.

Polunin, one of the biggest names in the dance world and a former director of London’s Royal Ballet, was born in Ukraine but became a Russian citizen in 2018.

In September, while on tour in Uzbekistan, he performed a dance in military uniform for fallen Russian soldiers, drawing criticism from Uzbek authorities who said he deviated from the agreed schedule.

Performances by Russian artists and Russian works of art have been controversial in the West since the Russian invasion.

In Milan, the La Scala opera house removed Russian conductor Valery Gergiev after he did not condemn the invasion but stood by his decision to open the 2022-2023 season with the Russian opera Boris Godunov.