Joc Head Aliona Strîmbeanu Dismissed

The information was confirmed by Liuba Lupașenco, responsible for communications at the Ministry of Culture. The decision to dismiss Joc director Aliona Strîmbeanu followed an investigation by the Ministry of Culture, agora.md reports. The journalists asked for details about the reason for Strîmbeanu’s dismissal. The institution said it would provide details later. On 7 June, a video footage appeared in the public space showing several dancers of the National Ensemble Joc dancing at an event in St. Petersburg together with the fugitive oligarch Ilan Șor and the head of Gagauzia Evghenia Guțul, as well as MP Marina Tauber. The National Ensemble Joc denied the information that they had received any requests regarding the delegation of participants to perform in St. Petersburg. The ensemble representatives explained that at the time the dancers seen in the videos were on holiday of their own accord. Later, on 14 June, the ensemble head, Aliona Strîmbeanu, was suspended from her post and temporarily replaced by the orchestra’s conductor, Marin Gheras.