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Sergei Filin Attacked


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Diana Vishneva posted this sad news to her Facebook page:

Terrible, shocking news from Moscow: someone poured acid in face of Bolshoi ballet director Sergey Filin.

Sergey is in the hospital now.

I pray for his soon recovery...

A truly bizarre, and awful incident. I suppose no one knows at this point if this was some kind of personal dispute, or vaguely political protest, or?

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Russian link:

http://www.sobesednik.ru/news/20130118-narodnyi-artist-rossii-sergei-filin-dostavlen-v-bolnitsu-ego-oblili-kislotoi

Machine translation:

Sergei Filin, the head of the State Academic Bolshoi Ballet Theatre of Russia, was taken to hospital with chemical burns.

People's Artist of Russia Sergei Filin was attacked unknown attacker on the night of 17 to 18 January. At Trinity Street in Moscow, he was doused with sulfuric acid.

The assailant escaped. According to media reports, the ballet dancer was taken to hospital with chemical burns of the face.

Sergei Filin, the Bolshoi dancers since 1988, and in 2001 he was awarded the title of "People's Artist of Russia." In 2008 - 2011 GG head of the Moscow Ballet Musical Theater. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko, from March 2011 again worked at the Bolshoi Theatre as artistic director of the ballet company.

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Yes this Izvestia clip has the details of the background: http://izvestia.ru/news/543191

Recently he had received numerous threats to his cell phone which was only stopped when they finally called the cell phone provider. Someone also created a false Facebook page in his name and attempted to post information about him that would have compromised his position at the Bolshoi -- ie making it look as if he had gripes with the administration above him (which he did not have). More than once his tires had been slashed. He was offered an arm guard in the wake of all of this harassment but didn't accept...

Tonight his family, his wife, press rep from the Bolshoi Katerina Novikova, and others from the Theatre were with him at the hospital No. 36 where he was immediately taken.Doctors say his rehabilitation will require at least 6 months.

There are rumors the attack was done by someone inside the Bolshoi. That they tried to achieve a change in the administration via one of Filin's superiors and when that didnt' work, decided a personal attack would...would what? Aside from ruin his life. May they be caught... I have no words. No words.

[Admin note: The rumor that it was an attempt to change the admin of the Bolshoi is noted at the end of the article.]

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It's a cliche phrase but I am genuinely shocked and appalled, what an insane way to attack someone. I hope that the deranged person that committed this atrocity is caught and brought to justice. I also hope for a speedy recovery, and my thoughts go to his family and loved ones in this terrible time.

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Third degree burns to the face, unless I'm mistaken, would mean permanent disfigurement. It's a rather personal attack, and a cowardly one.

The video repeats much of the info in the article -- at the end when Tsiskaridze speaks he just says that he saw Filin at the performance last night, he was sitting inthe back in a large group of dancers, and the perf ended "quite late, around 11:30" and then it cuts off.

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[Admin beanie on]

This is a sensitive issue and there is a criminal act and legal issue involved. I want to reiterate Ballet Alert! policy:

  • Only official news may be posted, and all must be sourced, unless it is posted by one of five Editorial Advisors (identified under their board names).
  • Other message boards are not official sources

There are a number of people on the board who have insider knowledge and personal connections to members of the dance world. We're not questioning credibility but managing through standard board policy.

[Admin beanie off]

A small homage to Mr. Filin on Marc Haegeman's Facebook Page "For Ballet Lovers Only":

https://www.facebook...162981420429554

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MOSCOW, January 18 (Itar-Tass) — Moscow police are searching for the attacker who splashed acid at Bolshoi Theatre Ballet Artistic Director Sergei Filin on Thursday night, the Moscow police press service told Itar-Tass.

The "02" telephone police service received a call at 23:20 on Thursday from Filin's relatives who said about the attack. According to the reports, an unknown person at a car parking near Building 9, Troitskaya Street in central Moscow splashed acid into Filin's face and escaped.

The Meshchansky district police department has launched an inquiry into the attack, a police source said.

Police are doing everything to find the attacker. Witnesses are questioned. Video recordings from the site will be examined.

Filin with burns on his face, head and eyes is hospitalized.

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Was traveling overnight and just logging in. This is shocking, even in the nasty reality of today's Russia. My prayers go out to this gentleman, that his vision be saved (especially). He is ALIVE, thank goodness.

I hope that the perpetrator(s) will be caught and receive maximum punishment. I pray that justice will prevail.

Edited to add:

Here's a bit more information about Filin's status and, via the BT's press rep, revelations on recent hacking Filin's Facebook page, with attempt to defame his character:

http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c32/624646.html

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The international cable TV broadcaster, Russia Today, ran a 10-minute piece on this story, including analysis from their arts editor. I will attach link if I see the 10-minute clip on the RT website; it aired on actual TV 30 mins ago. While no names were mentioned, footage of one very famous Bolshoi male dancer was shown in class, as the expert commented in general on threats made against Filin by dancers not being cast (again, the expert spoke in generalities and no names named...but the footage of one unnamed-but-famous male star was shown). I don't wish to name that dancer either because it was embarrassing just to show him at the barre.

Will post the news story if I find. Should appear on rt.com.

Edited to add RT's printed story; no video yet but this is a start:

http://rt.com/news/bolshoi-director-acid-attack-255/

Quote from the above:

Bolshoi spokesperson Ekaterina Novikova said... “We never imagined that a war for roles – not for real estate or for oil – could reach this level of crime,” Novikova said to Channel One.

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From the Voice of Russia article: "A team of investigators, criminologists and sinologists were working at the scene"

????

Sinologists? surely not. Sinologists are experts on China. What could they mean?

A crack team of Russian orthodox priests trained to track down people that sin I think you'll find.

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