Who Is Tatiana Navka? Putin Aide’s Wife Sparks Outrage Over Holocaust-Themed Skating Routine

Tatiana Navka, the wife of a top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin sparked international outrage over a Holocaust-inspired ice-skating routine. Competitive skater Navka and her skating partner, Andrew Burkovsjy, performed the piece for Russian reality TV program “Ice Age” on Saturday.

The former Olympic skating champion's performance drew criticism as she and Burkovsjy donned black-and-white striped pajamas along with death-camp serial numbers. They skated to the song “Beautiful That Way,” by Israeli singer Achinoam “Noa” Nini. Navka said the song — which featured in the 1997 Italian-language Oscar-winning Holocaust film "Life is Beautiful" — was the inspiration for the performance.

The wife of Dmitry Peskov — he is a spokesman for the Russian president — posted photos of her performance to her Instagram account, saying she hoped the lighthearted display would help future generations remember the Holocaust.

“This is a must see,” she wrote. “One of my most loved routines! It was choreographed based on one of my favorite movies ‘La Vita Et Bella’ (‘Life is Beautiful’). Show it to your children, you must. P.S. Our children must know and remember about the horrendous time which I hope — God forbid — they will never see!”

Despite receiving praises from the Russian audience, the performance was criticized on social media.

The Jerusalem Post called the routine a “chilling performance,” adding that this was not the first time Russian reality TV aired a Holocaust-themed performance. In April, a dance routine for the country’s version of “Dancing with the Stars” featured a man dressed as a Nazi officer looking for a young Jewish girl who was hiding.

You can watch Navka and Burkovsjy's performance below.