Sergei Filin

[Sim]

I' ve just read that Sergei Filin, AD of the Bolshoi Ballet, is in serious condition in a Moscow hospital after being the victim of an acid attack...it was thrown in his face. Sending him, his family and all at the Bolshoi my hope for his recovery, as much as it can be.

[Anjuli_Bai]

Oh dear - how awful! My best wishes and prayers for his recovery!

 

What a sad place the world can be.

[Jan McNulty]

Oh how dreadul. Sending very best wishes to Mr Filin for recovery and positive thoughts to him and his family.

[Bruce Wall]

If this is truly caused by the Company in-fighting then I very much hope that those responsible for the planning of such horrific activities are reprehended and punished to the fullest extent of the law. This is OUTRAGEOUS. Imagine how other crucial leaders - indeed all - within the Bolshoi ranks must be feeling. This is not, I think, the best environment within which to create art.

Edited January 18, 2013 by Meunier

[Ann Williams]

Have just heard this reported on BBC Radio 4 news, so it's already in the UK media. The report says he was getting out of his car last night when he was attacked and that doctors are fighting to save his sight.

 

What a disgrace.

[Pas de Quatre]

It is truly appalling - like something out of the Mafia.

[alison]

Does that surprise you? Best wishes to him and his family, and praying that the doctors will be able to do their utmost.

[Norman S]

Have people seen this....?

Perhaps they take their ballet a bit too seriously methinks...........

 

MOSCOW (AP) - A masked assailant threw acid at the artistic director of

the Bolshoi Theater ballet, an attack that colleagues say may leave him

partially blind and appeared to be linked to power struggles at the famed

Russian dance company.

Sergei Filin, a 42-year-old former ballet star, said he was approached

late Thursday night by a man who threw the acid at his face as he approached

the high gate at the entrance to his apartment building in central Moscow.

"I got scared and I thought he was going to shoot me," Filin, his head

and face covered with white bandages, said in an interview with REN TV. "I

turned around to run, but he raced ahead of me."

Filin said the attacker wore a hood and either a mask or a scarf, so only

his eyes were visible.

The theater's general director, Anatoly Iksanov, said he believed the

attack was linked to Filin's work.

[Farfallina]

It's so sad. His wife says she is in fear for her sons' and her life. They will be flying him soon to Belgium for further treatment. I can't believe this is about roles and who's to dance or not to dance...

[Sim]

Farfallina....it is about even more than that, according to various press reports. There have been bitter jealousies and rivalries ever since his appointment, with sides being taken and factions being formed...all very political. Allegedly. It sounds like a real nest of vipers...terrible stuff. If this is the way someone deems it acceptable to settle artistic or political differences, there is really not much hope for any of us.

[Jan McNulty]

The more that is filtering out about the attack and possible motives, the more horrific it becomes.

[Jan McNulty]

Judith Mackrell on the horrific attack: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2013/jan/18/sergei-filin-bolshoi-politics-acid-attack?intcmp=ILCMUSTXT9383

 

"Sergei Filin may be as much a victim of Bolshoi ballet politics as acid attack"

[MAB]

Don't like the speculation in that article. The disgusting business that prevented poor Gennady Yanin from becoming director was not down to what is described by Mackrell as the 'conservative wing'.

[Jan McNulty]

Worth keeping an eye on Ismene Brown's article on the Arts Desk (already in links) - it's been updated a couple of times today:

 

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

[Farfallina]

Farfallina....it is about even more than that, according to various press reports. There have been bitter jealousies and rivalries ever since his appointment, with sides being taken and factions being formed...all very political. Allegedly. It sounds like a real nest of vipers...terrible stuff. If this is the way someone deems it acceptable to settle artistic or political differences, there is really not much hope for any of us.

I cannot believe what I'm reading. It's the cruelty and the barbarism of the attack which leaves me speechless. I cannot believe this is happening in our day and age... I desperately hope the doctors can save his eyesight

[Farfallina]

There is a video on The Daily Mail from a short interview with Sergei Filin which was aired on REN TV... it has English subtitles

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2264401/Sergei-Filin-Russias-Bolshoi-Ballet-director-lose-sight-acid-attack.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

 

I hope it's ok to post the link in here

[hoobydigger]

Barbaric!!

[loveclassics]

What I found shocking was this comment reported in the Times: "Boris Akinov, a former artistic director of the Bolshoi, said ............ But we see hatred inside the theatre world. This situation is not only in Russian theatres. I’ve worked in many theatres around the world and it’s the same situation everywhere."

 

I find this very hard to believe. What we read of conditions in Russia sometimes suggest that Moscow is run like Chicago during the time of Al Capone but I can't accept that in any other society, an artist like Filin could be attacked like this.

 

I hope that the doctors will be able to heal his injuries and he can carry on his work, perhaps not at the Bolshoi, but in another company which will appreciate his talent and contribution to ballet.

[Amelia]

Don't like the speculation in that article.

 

 

I agree with MAB. Even less I like speculations in the Arts Desk.

 

The latest news is that the treatment for Sergei Filin at Burn Unit of the Military Hospital in Brussels has been ruled out because the main concern is not so much about the burns but about his eyesight.

One-hour operation on his eyes has been performed by the Moscow best eye-surgeons and then he was transferred to intensive care, which is a norm after operations. No travels or tranfers should be undertaken soon after eye operations. Sergei was praised by medics for doing instinctively the right thing immediately after the attack- he rubbed snow into his eyes and face, which washed-out at least some quantity of acid.

 

I pray for his recovery and for his mother and his family. He is a lovely person and those who did it to him cannot be called humans, IMHO.

[Julie 2 Milner]

This really is terrible news. On the news in the UK last night there were clips from Sergei himself and a couple of different people from the Bolshoi. One a dancer and one admin I think. The admin lady was saying that everytime he made a decision he had complaints . She def seemed to be giving it the spin of disgruntled and jealous.The dancer seemed shocked but....

 

I think it is terrible to say this is the way the theatre is all over. We all know the terrible jealousies that can and do exist in a company. We also know that people can behave very badly but this is a thought out action designed to cause extreme harm. The former director certainly has a point that because of the continual competition for parts the jealousies within a company can be dreadful and certainly some companies seem more harmonious than others but I think we should be very careful of any acceptance that this sort of thing can happen because of the sort of world the theatre is.

 

I'm very ignorant about The Bolshoi, infact all dancing in Russia but this attack is horriffic.

[balletla]

I think that Russian culture, politics and psyche are not well understood by the West. It would be a shame if this highly reported incident caused the general public to reflect badly on our ballet companies which I think are generally very happy places to work and probably suffer no more from the usual professional squabbles or petty jealousies than ANY workplace.

[Bruce]

The disgusting business that prevented poor Gennady Yanin from becoming director was not down to what is described by Mackrell as the 'conservative wing'.

 

That's a strong assertion - the stronger using bold. How do you know this with such assured clarity? I understand the annoyance with speculation - especially if you disagree with it, but surely you are speculating also in the way you choose your words and to effectively dismiss something as wholly impossible.

 

While I'm interested in some of the various background takes on it all, ultimately I just stand back and think what a sad carry on - its only dance folks, its not life and death.

[Aruna S]

I agree with MAB. Even less I like speculations in the Arts Desk.

 

Speculation is always odious, but Nikolai Tsiskaridze's reaction to this shocking incident (as reported here : http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2013/jan/18/bolshoi-ballet-director-acid-attack) is bizarre, to say the least. 'Tsiskaridze, who was once floated as a possible director for the Bolshoi ballet, told the newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets: "This all means nothing to me. I have nothing to do with it." He speculated that the attack may have resulted from a business deal or love affair gone wrong.'

 

Hopefully the doctors will be able to save Sergei's sight and he will recover fully from this horrifying experience.

[Amelia]

Speculation is always odious, but ...

 

Before harshly judging the “bizzarre” reaction of the famous dancer to this horrific crime one has to decide whether the reporter’s coverage was absolutly true. Thank you, afds, for drawing my attention to the Miriam Elder’s article. She didn’t interview the dancer herself but quoted SOME of his words from a Russian newspaper. I wasn’t lazy and found the original article in the ‘Moskovsky Komsomolets’.http://www.mk.ru/inc...i-chemquot.html

I discovered that the dancer’s words were taken out of context, i.e. the answer was separated from the question and linked with a sentence from another answer. The words: ‘This all means nothing to me’ were his answer to a question about gossips. Not about the event itself. So to clarify what exactly was said I did translation of this piece from the interview:

• Nikolai, you probably can guess the reason for my call: Filin…
  
• And how I can help?
  
• People started pointing fingers, talking about the race for the post...
  
• This all means nothing to me. I already had a call at night from some girl, a correspondent, and I also asked her: “Why are you dialing me?” She replied: “The Bolshoi’s press secretary advised to phone you!”
  
• Well, you know, an emotional outburst…
  
• I don’t think so. Considering the statements, which our management is making already from 9 a.m. … But I have absolutely nothing to do with it.
  

The interview is finished with his words: “Fingers are pointed by those who will make a great profit of it.

 

”We don’t know what made the journalist distort the dancer’s interview - poor knowledge of Russian language, hectic schedule of work, lack of time, or something else? In any case this reminded me that sometimes we have to take printed words with a grain of salt. Unfortunately.

And I totally agree that ‘speculation is always odious’.

 

Edited for punctuation.

Edited January 19, 2013 by Amelia

[Aruna S]

Thank you, Amelia, for the translation, certainly the impression is very different when the comments are read in context. The way they were quoted is distorted and definitely to be taken with a large spoonful of salt!

[alison]

”We don’t know what made the journalist distort the dancer’s interview - poor knowledge of Russian language, hectic schedule of work, lack of time, or something else?

 

It's standard practice for certain publications and websites, I'm afraid. I've been paying closer attention than usual to the tennis world online in recent months, and have seen the same sort of thing there: joining of two separate sentences (or parts of them) to give a meaning not originally intended by the speaker, quoting a player in a language he doesn't speak, when it's clear that he would have said it in his native language, then it's been translated into English and from there into this other language, with all the "Chinese whisper"-type distortions that can bring, simply to stir up something that isn't really there and to make a story sound "better". A shoddy way to behave, but hey, who cares if it's actually true, as long as it sells copies/gets people talking/retweeting and what have you?

[Amelia]

... who cares if it's actually true, as long as it sells copies/gets people talking/retweeting and what have you?

 

Those people care whose reputations suffer from unfair distortions. I also care as a reader who wants to read the truth. Especially in cases like this one.

 

Back to dear Sergei Filin. The latest news (in brief) from ITAR-TASS:

19 Jan. The hospital’s Chief Physician said that Sergei doesn’t feel pain after the operation. He has been transferred to a ward, he walks and eats well. His eyes are bandaged and the result of the operation can be discussed not earlier than after 2-3 weeks. There will be another operation next week.

http://www.itar-tass.../c1/625524.html

 

News from INTERFAX.RU:

19 Jan. The Minister of Culture and the Bolshoi’s Director General visited Sergei in hospital and were discussing the company’s plans and managerial matters during his absence. He wanted himself to have this discussion. http://www.interfax....s.asp?id=285986

 

19 Jan. Crime investigators started interviewing Sergei Filin in his hospital ward. http://www.interfax....s.asp?id=285970

 

Edited for layout.

Edited January 20, 2013 by Amelia

[Bruce]

Before harshly judging the “bizzarre” reaction of the famous dancer to this horrific crime one has to decide whether the reporter’s coverage was absolutly true. Thank you, afds, for drawing my attention to the Miriam Elder’s article. She didn’t interview the dancer herself but quoted SOME of his words from a Russian newspaper. I wasn’t lazy and found the original article in the ‘Moskovsky Komsomolets’.http://www.mk.ru/inc...i-chemquot.html

I discovered that the dancer’s words were taken out of context, i.e. the answer was separated from the question and linked with a sentence from another answer. The words: ‘This all means nothing to me’ were his answer to a question about gossips. Not about the event itself. So to clarify what exactly was said I did translation of this piece from the interview:

• Nikolai, you probably can guess the reason for my call: Filin…
  
• And how I can help?
  
• People started pointing fingers, talking about the race for the post...
  
• This all means nothing to me. I already had a call at night from some girl, a correspondent, and I also asked her: “Why are you dialing me?” She replied: “The Bolshoi’s press secretary advised to phone you!”
  
• Well, you know, an emotional outburst…
  
• I don’t think so. Considering the statements, which our management is making already from 9 a.m. … But I have absolutely nothing to do with it.
  

The interview is finished with his words: “Fingers are pointed by those who will make a great profit of it.

 

”We don’t know what made the journalist distort the dancer’s interview - poor knowledge of Russian language, hectic schedule of work, lack of time, or something else? In any case this reminded me that sometimes we have to take printed words with a grain of salt. Unfortunately.

And I totally agree that ‘speculation is always odious’.

 

Edited for punctuation.

 

 

Amelia - thank you for the complete translation - always good to have the 'full' words. However I have to say that I don't particularly see that the full set of verbals shows a very different conversation to the paraphrased version.

 

What I would have expected to see is Tsiskaridze starting the conversation with words similar to what we all feel: "This is an outrage..." etc. And then closing with something like "It's well known that we have very different views about how the company can be taken forward, but at a time like this I put that all that to one side and wish for his rapid and complete recovery. My sympathy is with his family. This is a wicked thing and I condemn it totally."

 

I don't say the absence of such words from him, in this particular on the record conversation, means he was involved in any way or that he is totally without sympathy - not trying to add to any speculation. But what I do think is that it shows his head is in an odd place. Ultimately, even armed with the full transcript I still find his reaction "bizarre" in such horrific circumstances.

 

.

[Farfallina]

I was also strangely touched by the statements associated to Tsiskaridze, but reading this article I think one has to be really carefull in making judgements. Obviously not all journalists write in the best of intentions...

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/21/arts/dance/police-say-sulfuric-acid-was-used-in-attack-on-sergei-filin.html

[Amelia]

always good to have the 'full' words. However I have to say that I don't particularly see that the full set of verbals shows a very different conversation to the paraphrased version.

 

 

OK, Bruce, you can not see. However, others, as I know, can. Just a difference in perception and interpretation of the same events. Sitting over the weekend in an arm-chair and browsing the Web one can think at leisure over what one “would have expected to see”. And then to compose the appropriate words plus “closing with something like…” And then to lament “the absence of such words from him.”

 

In the Russian newspaper, the quoted words did not constitute Tsiskaridze’s FULL interview. It was a long article with some shorter or longer pieces from interviews with several people - two sentences here, three sentences there. Not all those extracts showed the expected “correct” reaction. Sergei Filin’s wife, for example, was only stating the facts there while another article described her deep worries. Another reports quoted Tsiskaridze describing the attack as ‘a monstrous crime’. The quoted words were only those words, which the journalist picked for quoting.

 

I can see that Tsiskaridze was in a daunting situation: a female correspondent called him at night being encouraged to do it by the Bolshoi’s PR lady. Then the dancer watched on TV the PR lady's comments: ‘Sergei Filin holds a very good post. I think it is foolproof who could organise such an outrageous attack. Most likely they are the people who want the Artistic Director’s job.’ Then the Director General declared on TV that for him it is aslo ‘clear-cut’.

And how Tsiskaridze as a well-known pretender for the post could feel in this shocking situation? Only later the administrators re-collected themselves and said in subsequent statements that they don’t know who was behind this attack and it is a matter for the police to find the culprits. I am personally not surprised by the dancer’s ‘bizarre’ reaction. And prefer not to judge people after reading hastily prepared reports. I accept that other people can have a different opinion.

Edited for typo.

Edited January 20, 2013 by Amelia

[Kitschqueen_1]

Not sure how closely linked the Bolshoi Company and the Bolshoi School are but would be interested to hear Primrose's views as her lovely dd is a student at the school.

[Ian Macmillan]

The Arts Desk piece on all this vanished for a time today, possibly to allow inclusion of another update indicating that Mr Tsiskaridze has now described the attack as "monstrous."

 

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

[Farfallina]

making progress ?

 

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/man-held-in-bolshoi-acid-attack-probe/story-fnb64oi6-1226557545231