×
Enjoying ad-free content?
Since July 1, 2024, we have disabled all ads to improve your reading experience.
This commitment costs us $10,000 a month. Your support can help us fill the gap.
Support us
Our journalism is banned in Russia. We need your help to keep providing you with the truth.

Bolshoi Theater Won't Renew Acid Attack Victim's Contract

Bolshoi Theater artistic director Sergei Filin Maxim Stulov / Vedomosti

Sergei Filin, the artistic ballet director at Moscow's prestigious Bolshoi Theater who hit the headlines two years ago when an assailant threw acid in his face, will not be continuing in his post when his contract expires next year, the theater's director said Thursday.

“I have made the decision not to extend Filin's contact, which runs out on March 17 next year,” Bolshoi director Vladimir Urin was cited as saying by the TASS news agency in an interview.

He praised Filin's achievements and said the decision not to renew his contract was connected “to internal issues at the theater.”

Urin declined to say who would succeed Filin, TASS reported.

Filin was attacked outside his home in January 2013 by a man who threw acid in his face, and is still undergoing a series of operations on his eyes as a result of the damage inflicted.

A principle dancer at the Bolshoi, Pavel Dmitrichenko, was found guilty of masterminding the attack and sentenced to six years in prison. The assault was reportedly prompted by a personal conflict that had arisen between the two men at work.

Filin has been the artistic director of the Bolshoi's ballet troupe since 2011.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more