“...It is fair to say that I deeply love Russia and her people...”
The brave Russian people are great as exemplified by Olga Smirnova. You said you’ve been to the Bolshoi so perhaps you’ve seen her. She left Moscow because of Putin’s criminal invasion of Ukraine. Many Russians are taking a stand against the Ukrainian war, and they are persecuted and prosecuted for their stand.
Another famous prima ballerina was Maya Plisetskaya who danced into old age, directed, acted, and choreographed. Her father was executed as an “enemy of the people.” These days Putin uses the term “foreign agent” instead of the earlier phrase. Maksim Galkin is a “foreign agent” now. His more famous wife, the singer Alla Pugacheva may be declared one next. Less famous Russians are receiving seven-year prison sentences for opposing the war verbally.
Putin is making war against his own country. Why are you supporting that?
She is an icon in Russia, probably the most famous singer from the Soviet era.
In most Baltic countries you are arrested if you show a Russian flag or sing a Russian ballad in public.
Adopted Russian children who are now adults in the US have been fired for being Russian, as have many many Russians around the world.
This is war, on both sides. We put how many Japanese Americans into camps and took their land?
In this war we are fighting for empire status, Russia is fighting to exist.