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Sergei Filin Attacked


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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.

Very personal, indeed. So personal that I feel it will most likely lead directly to the cowardly attacker sooner or later. I pray for sooner rather than later.

Huffington Post is now reporting the story as well.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/18/sergei-filin-attacked_n_2501175.html

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AFP story with latest, including 'naming names' of people within the Bolshoi known to have ongoing disagreements to Filin.

http://nz.sports.yah...-085440748.html

As cited in the above report, Filin was interviewed by Russian TV shortly after undergoing initial surgery today. I saw this interview on Al Jazeera TV a few minutes ago. While I do not have a clip -- it may surface on YouTube soon -- I can say that SF was sitting, with an red sweater, this entire face wrapped in white bandages, except for openings for mouth and eyes, which (of course) seemed opaque. He described that he could see the eyes of the assailant, etc, etc.

The Al Jazeera report also included clips of the Bolshoi's GD, Iksanov, doing all but naming 'the monster' within the Bolshoi who contracted the acid throwing. In other words, police are already focusing on a specific individual but, of course, will not name the name yet.

Among the dancers speaking in the Al Jazeera piece, all teary eyed, were Zakharova, Meskova and Tikhomirova.

Ironically, today (Jan 18) marks the 188th anniversary of the Bolshoi Theater.

p.s. - This France24 report mentions Filin's post-operation interview and even offers a few quotes:

http://www.france24.com/en/20130118-bolshoi-ballet-chief-hit-acid-attack

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He must be on his way to Belgium now. The bedside interview (what I saw on Al Jazeera) with the bandages took place soon after the operations in Moscow. Bravo to Sergei Filin -- what he has gone through in the past 24 hours, still with the spirit and fortitude to sit up and do a brief TV interview, describing his ordeal!

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Very latest in a longer-than-usual report by Ismene Brown (Arts Desk - UK) which most definitely names 'persons of interest.' Filin's mother says that they know exactly who is behind this. Also, Iskanov offers news that the computer hacker who posted nasty things on Filin's Facebook account has been arrested. Police are working overtime, round the clock.

http://www.theartsdesk.com/dance/bolshoi-ballet-chief-attacked-acid-his-sight-threatened

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Some dancers employ loud-mouthed local fans to sit in the auditorium and yell 'BRAVO!' whenever the employer dances. Some claqueurs are even paid extra to make ugly noises, hiss or cough at pauses during a rival dancer's solo...all to derail the rival. This happens now and I've reported on some of the better-known claqueurs in St Petersburg, including the (in)famous Yevgeni, a.k.a. Bravo Man. The practice is well documented in Czarist times. Nothing new.

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What a sick cowardly thing to do, how can a human being do this to another, it is incomprehensible. I have just watched the report on the ITV Ten oclock news, which showed Serguei Filin in hospital, and from what he said it would appear that not only his face and eyes are effected, but the attacker also went behind him and threw the acid at the back of his head, and down his back. He also feared he was going to be shot.

I hope he makes a rapid recovery and any treatment is a success. It was said that he would be going to Europe for specilist surgery.

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One of the links references a quote from Nikolai Tsiskaridze who stated the attackers were related to Mr. Filin's love life or his control over the Bolshoi budget. At the very minimum, these comments are certainly are unhelpful and distressing for Mrs. Filina. They may be slanderous (we know nothing of his love life or if he has much control over the money pots). They may even be a distraction, to throw attention away from Mr. Tsiskaridze's on-going office politics war with the current management at the Bolshoi.

While he may be an amazing dancer, and caring partner to his ballerinas, he certainly does not show the type of diplomacy in a crisis situation that would be needed to run the Bolshoi. I think Mr. Tsiskaridze should thank his lucky stars that he was not selected for management, and hasn't put himself in the position to be harassed, extorted and maimed by Russian criminals. I think he may be fired for his comments, and most certainly will fall under suspicion as a backer of the attack, after the severe response to his December letter to the Kremlin advocating for the Management position.

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I have been away from news and just read this terrible, terrible story this moment when I opened up the Ballet Talk website. I am deeply saddened. Best thoughts to Sergei Filin and his family. May his attacker (and anyone involved) be caught...

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Tangential to main discussion -- I thought it was interesting that the newsreaders referred to Filin by his first name, a practice that is not considered professional in most newsrooms for this kind of report. Is this standard in Russian reporting?

Beyond that, though, I sincerely hope that the reporter is correct, and the surgeons have been able to save Filin's eyesight.

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A question to those of you who know the intricacies of the current Russian Ballet world. What do you think about Alexei Ratmansky's comment that the pathologies of the Bolshoi are wrapped up in the power of the claque and the influence of the media?

Alexei Ratmansky, one of Mr. Filin’s predecessors as artistic director and now an artist in residence at American Ballet Theater, wrote on Facebook that the incident was “not a coincidence.”

He added, “Many of the illnesses of the Bolshoi are one snowball — that disgusting claque which is friendly with artists, ticket speculators and scalpers, half-crazy fans who are ready to slit the throats of their idol’s competitors, cynical hackers, lies in the press and scandalous interviews of people working there.”

It's sad and astonishing to see that people work themselves up to such extremes of hate and rage, all in the name of "art." Ratmansky is well out of it.

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A question to those of you who know the intricacies of the current Russian Ballet world. What do you think about Alexei Ratmansky's comment that the pathologies of the Bolshoi are wrapped up in the power of the claque and the influence of the media?

Alexei Ratmansky, one of Mr. Filin’s predecessors as artistic director and now an artist in residence at American Ballet Theater, wrote on Facebook that the incident was “not a coincidence.”

He added, “Many of the illnesses of the Bolshoi are one snowball — that disgusting claque which is friendly with artists, ticket speculators and scalpers, half-crazy fans who are ready to slit the throats of their idol’s competitors, cynical hackers, lies in the press and scandalous interviews of people working there.”

It's sad and astonishing to see that people work themselves up to such extremes of hate and rage, all in the name of "art." Ratmansky is well out of it.

Firstly, I pray for Mr. Filin. I hope he does not suffer physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, artistic, or financial pain, from his attack or its scars.

Secondly, I do not think the phenomenon described by Ratmansky is unique to Russia. We have observed claques, reporters, fans, agents, politicians, and other manipulators of media, boards, and other outlets influence casting, hirings, promotions, and pay. This is the topic of many discussions on BT.

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I truly hope that the report video linked in the previous page is accurate and his eyesight has been saved... from what I have read and put together with the conflicting reports of the status of his vision, he was to have a transplant of the corneas and then in 2 weeks they would know more details of how he is healing (and also that one eye was affected more than the other). However if the operation was a success that must be a good sign and I pray it has been saved for certain.

The ironic thing about this whole attack is that it will probably achieve the opposite of what that deranged maniac wants - it will give him more support than ever for his leadership I believe. Let it be so... may he come back healthy and with more support and success than ever.

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This incident is truly way beyond anything I've heard before. Is so sad-(and scary)-that from now on we have to start thinking of such venerable, loved institution as the Bolshoi of Ulanova, Bessmertnova and Maximova now linked to such level of criminality and craziness....

If this is ever demonstrated to be as a professional turmoil, then something has been broken forever....

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