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Russian musician fired for uncivilized behavior

By Yu Ronghua (People's Daily Online)

14:15, May 22, 2012

Oleg Vedernikov, former principal cellist at the Beijing Symphony Orchestra.

Edited and translated by Li Kunlun, People's Daily Online

Beijing Symphony Orchestra fired its Russian cellist Oleg Vedernikov for his uncivilized behavior towards a Chinese female onboard a train.

On the evening of May 14, Vedernikov, a principal cellist at the Beijing Symphony Orchestra who was traveling onboard a train, upset the female passenger sitting in front of him by putting his feet on the back of her seat. When the female passenger asked him to take his feet down, he refused and even cursed her with insulting words in Chinese.

After the incident, the Beijing Symphony Orchestra believed that Vedernikov's behavior has seriously damaged the reputation of the orchestra, and decided to fire Vedernikov, in accordance with the orchestra's relevant provisions and employment contracts.

Employees of Beijing Symphony Orchestra should serve as messengers who disseminate advanced culture, and comply with national laws and regulations and the norms of moral tradition. They should abide by the rules and regulations of the orchestra, whether on or off the stage, said Tan Lihua, head of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra.

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（Editor：梁军、马茜）

Leave your comment3 comments

Guest at 2012-05-2399.238.114.*: I have seen people sitting like this in the plane - Canadians, Americans, mostly women. And nobody said a world on the plane with long flight. I do not like and would not sit like this myself, but others think it helps feet to rest and blood circulation. In this video I see hysterical Chinese, who uses force and physical abuse against other person, instead of just calling flight attendant. Russian put his feet on chair with no people sitting there, nobody was hurt. Sorry was not enough - this musical player from orchestra was fired by Chinese. But even if it would be him screaming and hitting other person feet + throwing items - he would be punished. This is example of communistic China nationalism. They don't like foreigners do not want to accept Western approach to things historically and there are many facts. I recently saw pissing Chinese in the parking lot near supermarket, but would not approach him with physical force as would be charged by police.
André M. Smith at 2012-05-2374.101.90.*: There is no reason whatsoever to give Mr Vedernikov a special courtesy consideration following his base public behaviour; physical and verbal. He is neither a child nor a characteristically unrepentant adolescent. He has come forth with a public apology for the world to review only because he has been recorded in action and identified by those who recognize him. Without that alert fellow passenger to record this unfortunate event as well as he did there is no reason to believe that Mr Vedernikov would have made a statement of any kind to anyone.An open question about the ease with which he misbehaved in this incident is, Can we be convinced that this arrogant disregard for ones fellows is a rare event or, more likely, Vintage Vedernikov.Since The Beijing Symphony Orchestra has wisely chosen to discontinue his employment; I should not like to have been in Mr Vedernikov’s position the first time he might have walked onto the stage for the next concert of the BSO. http://www.bjso.cn/en/index.php/default/ Should Mr Vedernikov be dismissed from employment for misbehaviour unrelated to his work? I think the management of the BSO has shown best how to protect the integrity of its public reputation.Requisqat in Pace, Mr Vedernikov!_____________________________André M. Smith, Bach Mus, Mas Sci (Juilliard)Diploma (Lenox Hill Hospital School of Respiratory Therapy)Postgraduate studies in Human and Comparative Anatomy (Columbia University)Formerly Bass TrombonistThe Metropolitan Opera Orchestra of New York,Leopold Stokowski’s American Symphony Orchestra (Carnegie Hall),The Juilliard Orchestra, Aspen Festival Orchestra, etc.
Fat-Chun Leung Ki at 2012-05-22188.61.105.*: It is true there is a decline in Foreigners' respect for the Chinese, partly due to the image that Chinese give of themselves. We have many recent stories that explain that,e.g. contaminated baby powder milk, carcinogenic lean pork, unfit-for-consumption recycled cooking oil, child kidnapping etc. one could not help oneself to ask could Chinese be so heartless to one another as to be willing to kill or harm other Chinese purely for making money. If Chinese do not respect one another, how do you want foreigners to respect them.