Culture Minister Yevgeny Sidorov approved the resignation of Anatoly Malkov on Wednesday, and his decree to the effect has been put on display at Kirov's premises, said ministry spokeswoman Yelena Yokovich.
Formally, Malkov's dismissal still must be approved by the Cabinet, she added. A replacement for Malkov is to be announced soon.
Malkov, the director of the 212-year old theater, was detained in his office last month while accepting a $10,000 bribe from a Canadian impresario for the right to organize the company's foreign tour.
Police found $150,000 in cash during a search of Malkov's office. Oleg Vinogradov, the ballet's chief choreographer for the last 18 years, was also detained. The investigation is continuing.
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