solo

Quote: “...the accusation that she'd never be a truly "Soviet" gymnast because of her heritage.” Unfortunately, there are so many “writers” now writing the “ugly stuff”, which is not just ugly but also completely untrue. I don’t know what the ‘Soviet’ gymnast meant in this context but I know well that in the Soviet times ‘Spartakiada’ Games were held every 4 years, in the year before the Olympics, where all republics were competing. They were similar to Commonwealth Games. It is impossible to list all champions of Muslim heritage whom the country was proud of and who were awarded with many high prizes and decorations. Here are some Olympic champions: Uzbek gymnast Elvira Saadi; Uzbek boxers Muchammadkadyr Abdullaev, Abbos Atoev, Rufat Riskiev; Kazakh boxer Serik Sapiev; Tartar artistic gymnast Alina Kabayeva… I can run out of space listing others. Each republic had famous academicians, writers, actors, film and theatre directors, etc. The ballet list given by Mashinka can be continued: Malika Sabirova, the best Bolshoi’s character dancer Shamil Yagudin, etc. Special groups for ethnic minorities were created in best educational establishments, including Vaganova Ballet Academy. I wouldn’t have drifted so far away from the topic of our discussion but felt that it is necessary to show what if was like in reality. Some most famous people of Muslim heritage became known beyond the Soviet borders: writer Chingyz Aitmatov, singer Muslim Magomaev, poet Bella Akhmadulina. Like many others they haven’t changed their Muslim names.

Quote: "Filin was about to resign or not sign a new contract, Filin's contract was not going to be renewed, etc." Sorry, Helene, you are confusing something. The letter was not about Filin. It was about the end of Iksanov's contract.

Quote: “It was a lot more than criticising the theater. Going to the top artists in the nation to ask them to sign a petition based on outright lies about the state of the current administration is the type of action that would get most people fired on the spot.” It seems to me that criticising the theatre's management is not the same as criticising the theatre. The letter of the top artists of the nation did not contain a single grain of ‘outright lies about the state of the current administration’. In fact, no lies at all. Please open this site, roll the page down and see a scan of this letter with signatures of 12 top artists: http://tikandelaki.l...com/322564.html The letter suggested that in order to maintain the status of the Bolshoi as a leading theatre the changes are needed after the changeover at the end of December 2012 of the Director General A.G.Iksanov who has been holding the post since 2000. That’s all. Nothing else has been said about the current administration. And it was true that Mr. Iksanov’s contract was due to expire in December 2012. Where are the ‘outright lies’? Then Mr.Iksanov’s contract was extended till the end of 2014 and some top artists began apologising. I also heard about good relationship between Tsiskaridze and Yanin when during the latest London tour they were sharing the dressing room at Covent Garden. Mr. Iksanov’s statement that he is in ‘no doubt' that NT was involved in the 2011 publication of Yanin’s photos has puzzled me. The laptop was stolen by someone, the personal mail and files were broken into, the unseemly pictures were e-mailed to 3000 people all over the world - and Yanin resigned. Why the management didn’t insist afterwards on investigation into these criminal actions and on punishment for the culprits?

I watched this interview on BBC Breakfast Show and again now using the links and noticed that it has been edited. Some scenes, including his rehearsal with the pupils, have been cut out: http://www.bbc.co.uk...europe-21381513 http://www.bbc.co.uk...t-arts-21366542 I also found something intresting in the official (!) press officer' statement. In response to Tsiskaridze’s claim that the management advised his pupils to go to another teacher she started her denial of it with the words: "What the rumours are saying..."

A very encouraging news today from the leading information agency INTERFAX. According to the Chief Physician of the Moscow hospital No. 36 A.Mitichkin, Sergei Filin feels well, is undergoing the completive treatment and is preparing for discharge from the hospital. The doctor added that ‘Sergei Filin hasn’t decided yet whether he will spend the night from Sunday to Monday at home or will travel to Germany immediately after his discharge from the hospital on Monday.’ http://www.interfax....s.asp?id=288339

If you are addressing me, Helene, then I just replied in my post to what had been posted before.

Quote: “Nothing wrong with keeping any adult material -- gay, straight, anything -- out of minors' hands… … The positive stride to which I refer is the decriminalization of homosexuality 10-15 years ago. ” The very truth itself. You are absolutely correct, Natalia. The repeal in 1993 of the penal clause for buggery, as it was called in the law, was a formidable achievement of the Yeltsin’s era. The new law, which they adopted now in several Russian cities and passed by the State Duma in the first reading, is a huge step back and dangerous for many reasons. The first danger comes from its wording: it prohibits so-called propaganda of "sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism, and pedophilia to minors.” It falsely links being gay with being a paedophile. This wording indoctrinates the country’s population to believe that gays are child sex offenders, like paedophils. Another danger is that its enforcement will be in the hands of the law enforcement officers and police where corruption is wide-spread. A wealthy criminal has a much better chance to get away with his sharp dealing than a modest person of ‘wrong’ orientation. The misinterpretation and misuse of this law is already in evidence. The policemen decide on the spot who breaks this law. The arrests started when the people were protesting in front of the council building where the law was passed. A man was arrested for holding a poster ‘Same sex relationship is not perversion’. An independent attorney and straight married man was detained for joining the protest. A biology teacher was sacked for the same by his headmaster. This could be more appropriate for some other forum. Sorry for writing about it at length. I did it because this Russian issue was mentioned in relation to a Russian dancer.

Oh, Natalia, if you think that some improvement happened in the last 10 years, look at information on homophobic laws already adopted in some Russian cities, incl. St.Petersburg. And the State Duma has already passed the first reading of such bill with only one person voting against it. http://www.google.co...hN6WM0wWUxICgBQ Many are afraid that it is just a beginning...

QUOTE: Incomplete can be misleading, with consequences or collateral results, possibly intended or not. It is more than just misleading - it is leading here the wrong way by picking one person arbitrary and deliberately, for the sake of selling the paper. Today they continued doing this. The Russian “Komsomolskaya Pravda” published an article, informing the readers that some ‘People’s and Honoured Artists, colleagues and friends of Filin are connected to the investigation as witnesses. They all, including Nikolai Tsiskaridze, refused to be tested on a lie-detector.’ Guess what the large-script headline is? Of course it says: “Tsiskaridze refused to be tested on a lie-detector in connection to an attack on Sergei Filin.’ http://ul.kp.ru/daily/26023/2943535/ Neither ‘People’s and Honoured Artists' no other 'colleagues and friends of Filin' are mentioned. To qualify this kind of journalism as simply “incomplete” seems to be a gross understatement to me. QUOTE: I imagine Tsiskardze knows a wider list of suspects than anyone else. Perhaps, he know those who share his critical views. Are all critics - suspects?

Quote: ‘I'm afraid that you're practicing a little of the sensationalism you are accusing my colleagues of.’ There is nothing sensational in pointing at journalists’ imperfections, sandik. We notice them every day. Quote: ‘Much of what the majority of posters on this board have been reading has been reports from the British mainstream press or the New York Times, much written by respected dance critics…’ By comparing the Russian and Western press I could clearly see that the Western reports are mainly based on translation of the Russian reports and some have a lot of inaccuracies with the addition of personal opinion, which often lacks objectivity. Hence we have different opinion of their authors. Quote: ‘There are very good reasons besides sensationalism for making Tsiskaridze a headliner.’ That’s right - but depending on what kind of headline. I thought that I gave a vivid example of a knavish and cruel headline. Talking about the ‘proclivities’ I cannot believe that the outspoken critic who has been openly criticising the management for several years and is well known as a thorn in the Administration’s flesh will suddenly resort to criminal actions in a backstreet. Therefore, I wish the journalists showed some sensitivity and restrain. Edited for typo.

Quote: “I can't help thinking he'd have collapsed under such an attack, as would most others.” I agree about “most others” but will NOT make a baseless personal allegation about someone’s weakness in the face of disaster. People can be judged by what they have done and not by what we presume they would have done. It doesn’t help that our discussions are usually based on reports in newspapers, which are often inaccurate, biased, irresponsible or superficial. One of the types of editorial bias is sensationalism aimed at the increase of readership. Unfortunately, it was very much in evidence when most of Russian papers reported the event we are discussing here. Just one example: “Komsomolskaya Pravda” newspaper had a huge headline yesterday: ‘Nikolai Tsiskaridze will be tested on lie-detector in connection with the attack on Sergei Filin.’ Only much further down, in the middle of this article, one could read the police’s actual words : ‘We intend to test a number of witnesses on a lie-detector.’ For the paper’s journalists these words were not good enough. They were not interested in the witnesses’ list. They picked a household name in Russia, Tsiskaridze, threw it into the headline in huge script - and the sensation was born. Unfortunately, similar presumptuous approach was taken by some British journalists too.

Galina Stepanenko's career started with Moscow Classical Ballet (1984–88). Then she danced at Stanislavasky for 2 years (1988–90). Since 1990 she has been with the Bolshoi. All Principals loved to dance with her so technically strong and professional she is. Sergei trusts her completely and continues - between operations and treatment sessions - to perform some of his duties as the Director's, for example, he instructs her in view of the forthcoming recording and transmission of La Bayadere. It sounds reassuring. Good luck to them both.

I have seen her Myrtha in May last year. In June she also danced Alonso's Carmen. I wish some young dancers could dance like her.

Prima Ballerina Galina Stepanenko has been officially appointed to perform the Artistic Director's duties during Sergei Filin's treatment and recuperation period. http://izvestia.ru/news/543401#ixzz2IhgS4mV8

The medical official said that the treatment results look promising. On Tuesday Sergei Filin will have an operation on his skin and on Wednesday - on his eyes. They expect to perform 3 or 4 more operations. Sergei is also undergoing some therapy treatment but it was not specified what kind of therapy. Then the presenter described again what happened to Sergei last week.

The Burn Unit of the Military Hospital in Brussels was considered originally but was ruled out because his eyesight caused the main concern.

Quote: “I think he may be fired for his comments, and most certainly will fall under suspicion as a backer of the attack.” Tsiskaridze is the most outspoken critic of the situation in the Bolshoi Theatre and continuously criticizes many bosses there: the Director General, successive Artistic Directors, the firms which did reconstruction and restoration of the historic building of the theatre, etc. He did it face to face, he did it publicly on the theatre’s premises, he did it in interviews to the press, radio and TV. He is an example of a man living ‘with an open visor’. Can he, after all this public exposure, back a low criminal night attack on his colleague to allow all fingers to be pointed back at him?