Holocaust ice dance by wife of Vladimir Putin's spokesman sparks controversy

Former Olympic ice dancer Tatiana Navka and her on-screen partner have caused controversy by dressing up in concentration camp uniforms for a routine on a popular television show.

Navka, who is the wife of Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, and actor Andrei Burkovsky appeared in Saturday's episode of Ice Age wearing striped uniforms bearing yellow six-pointed stars and heavily made up to look bruised and frail.

Their routine was based on Academy Award-winning Italian film Life Is Beautiful, about a Jewish father who pretends for the sake of his small son that their internment in a Nazi camp is just a game.

Navka's Instagram account was soon flooded with indignant comments.

Navka and Burkovsky told Russian media on Sunday that it was their way of paying homage to Holocaust victims.