Sergei Filin

[MAB]

The NY Times has the best coverage I've read so far http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/world/europe/russian-police-say-three-confess-to-bolshoi-attack.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss&

 

The references to low rates of pay are interesting, maybe that's why so many dancers are girlfriends/toy boys of mafiosi.  Of course with Filin also heading up the union it isn't so surprising that there is a 'faction' that is less than keen on the situation.

 

Have to say though that I applaud Pavel D. for taking on a critic in print, I wish some of the UK dancers would do the same.

 

Anzhelina Vorontsova is supposed to be quite beautiful but I've only seen inadequate You Tube clips; I notice she isn't listed as appearing in London, I wonder why?

[loveclassics]

Don't know how you manage that, Ian, you must have a special pass.

 

In general, if you register free with the FT you can read a limited number of 'Articles' per month, I believe it is about 5. After that you have to wait until the next month. To read unlimited Articles you have to subscribe, the lowest level costs about £5.19 per week.

I can confirm that you can register with the FT free of charge and read the article mentioned.  But Alison is right, it's not very good.

[Sim]

Sim, I was responding to Marissa, not Farfallina.

I know, but I was pointing out that there was a link put up by Farfallina that mentions the girl....

[Ian Macmillan]

Links galore - take your pick!

 

http://news.google.com/news/rtc?ncl=d1kdZH8267lOsMM

 

Unless something genuinely 'new' has appeared on this story by tomorrow morning, I'm not planning on adding further links.

[Ian Macmillan]

Oh dear, and breaking my self-imposed silence - but this is really taking on Black Swan dimensions.  A translation from Izvestia, via an Ismene Brown (Arts Desk) blog, and all via Twitter:

 

http://www.ismeneb.com/ismeneb.com/Blog/Entries/2013/3/6_Bolshoi_people_dont_believe_Dmitrichenko_ordered_the_Filin_attack.html

[Sim]

LInk to a story on Sky News this morning.....it gets worse and worse!!

 

http://news.sky.com/story/1061292/bolshoi-acid-attack-dancer-paid-perpetrator

[Marissa]

A link to an article in the New Yorker:

 

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/03/18/130318fa_fact_remnick

[alison]

Good grief - there are twelve pages of it!  Here's the link to put them all on a single page: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/03/18/130318fa_fact_remnick?currentPage=all

[johnross]

Alison you have just beaten me to it. What an amazing read. Where will it end and how will it affect Bolshoi's visit to Lonon in July. Engrosing article.

[johnross]

What an amazing story, well worth reading it to the end of the 12 pages. One wonders how it will end and what effect if any it will have on Bolshoi's visit.  Sorry about the duplication but my first post vanished so I re posted.

Edited March 11, 2013 by johnross

[Anjuli_Bai]

The whole thing is so sad.  I feel badly for the younsters in the school who spend their lives dreaming and working so hard - hoping for a career in the Bolshoi Ballet.  Who wants to work in this kind of atmosphere?

[Bruce Wall]

Thanks so for this link.  Forgetting the content, the style of the writing is absolutely riveting. Bravo to THE NEW YORKER.  I well remember years ago when I was living in NYC I used to wait anxiously for each monthly profile.  It was like reading a new and thoroughly well defined detective story.  Each chapter was so clearly detailed.  I recall one profile on Sir Ralph Richardson made me actually feel that I'd grown up knowing him. It was simply so vivid.  I am delighted that such informed and cultured writing as well as reportage still exists at this wonderful institution.  Few others in my experience have survived.  It is such a breath of fresh air.  Thanks be to Marissa for sharing this.

Edited March 11, 2013 by Meunier

[alison]

In all fairness, John Mallinson also shared it this morning in the Links

[Marissa]

Sorry - didn't see it in the Links section. I'm new here and still finding my way around the forum. I agree that it's a very well-written article. But it left me feeling very sad and worried for Sergei Filin. And also angry. I hope the police will continue investigating this case until they find everyone involved.

[Amelia]

http://ruvr.co.uk/2013_03_12/Bolshoi-ballerinas-express-sadness-at-Filin-attack/

 

Bolshoi ballerinas express sadness at Filin attack.

 

Ballerinas Ekaterina Krysanova and Evgenia Obraztsova and also Dmitry Gruzdev and Wayne Eagling interviewed during a break in rehearsals for a ballet gala at the Coliseum in London on 10.03.13.

Plus some additional information from Moscow.

Edited for typo, as usual.

Edited March 14, 2013 by Amelia

[Amelia]

A press conference in Aachen 2 days ago - German doctors hopeful Bolshoi's ballet chief will recover enough eyesight to work again. There are some pictures there too:

 

http://www.newser.com/article/da51k2v01/german-doctors-hopeful-bolshois-ballet-chief-will-recover-enough-eyesight-to-work-again.html

Edited March 17, 2013 by Amelia

[Farfallina]

New articles about Tsiskaridze and Pronin emerging like this one on Moscow News

 

http://themoscownews.com/arts/20130318/191348901/Bolshoi-principal-dancer-Tsiskaridze-threatened-Filin--report.html

[Jan McNulty]

And another one!

 

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/dmitrichenko-elected-chairman-of-bolshois-trade-union-replacing-filin/477040.html

[Amelia]

Moscow, 18 Mar, RIA Novosti news agency.

The metropolitan police had not received any statements from the artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet Sergei Filin about threats against him from the Principal of the ballet company Nikolai Tsiskaridze. RIA Novosti was informed of this on Monday by the press-service of the General Directorate of security for Moscow.

 

РИА Новости http://ria.ru/incidents/20130318/927785714.html#13636002979583&message=resize&relto=register&action=addClass&value=registration#ixzz2NuJWrFHd

[Marissa]

It looks like Tsiskaridze is doing his best to spread misinformation and create a negative image of Sergei Filin in the media.  Why does he hate him so much?  It seems to go way beyond creative differences and him covetting Filin's position as art director.

[Amelia]

It looks like Tsiskaridze is doing his best to spread misinformation and create a negative image of Sergei Filin in the media.  Why does he hate him so much?  It seems to go way beyond creative differences and him covetting Filin's position as art director.

 

On one hand, “it looks” and “it seems”; on the other hand, there are strong accusations of T. in doing his best to spread misinformation and hatred.

Can it be proved that this is misinformation and hatred?

The Russian media has a field day now and the papers are full of contradicting articles and statements. Therefore, Marissa, I cannot even ask you, as MAB once did, to give a link.

[Clarissa]

Answering to Marissa: In this article http://www.aif.ru/culture/article/61023, below the photo of  Tsiskaridze you can read just one short story out of many from the past, when Filin and T. were rivals on stage. Nina Ananiashvili chose Filin to dance with her the premiere of " Jiselle". (Nina A. is Georgian, same as T. )Tsiskaridze never forgot about it. In one of his countless TV interviews he said he never talks to Nina Ananiashvili , in contrary to Filin, who is saying Nina is his only friend. (About it you can read hear: http://yarcenter.ru/content/view/63425/161/ ) 

[Marissa]

I say "it looks" and "it seems" because that's how it looks to me. Tsiskaridze is given this soapbox in the media to freely accuse and criticize Filin. He accuses him of corruption and even of faking his attack. He claims that "everybody" in the troupe is questioning the seriousness of Filin's injuries. I guess he believes all the doctors in Moscow and Germany are in on this "hoax" as well. Tsiskaridze conveniently forgets to mention that it was the police who identified the substance in the jar as sulphuric acid and that it was the hitman (sorry can't remember how to spell his name) who admitted to buying the acid and throwing it in Filin's face.

 

There are people sympathizing with Dmitrichenko and calling his arrest an injustice. But what about the injustice done to Sergei Filin? He's been accused of being corrupt without being given the chance to respond and defend himself. Instead he's attacked with acid and then attacked in the press while trying to recover. I would think the fact that his main accuser is the man who's been openly campaigning for his job would arouse at least some skepticism of the veracity of these accusations. If there is suspicion of corruption at the Bolshoi let there be a formal investigation instead of these endless attacks in the press.

[Clarissa]

I am agree with you on this matter. As David Remnick says in his article "Danse Macabre. A Scandal at The Bolshoi Ballet" - "We have to understand that Tsiskaridze has powerful friends who can make life worse for the theatre and the director.”

Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/03/18/130318fa_fact_remnick#ixzz2O3XweT9i

[Marissa]

Thanks for the links, Clarissa. With so much personal animosity between them I wonder how Filin and Tsiskaridze will be able to continue to work together at the same theater when Filin does (hopefully) return? It sounds like he will be returning to the same poisonous atmosphere that was there when he was attacked. Personally I fear for his safety. If there really is some kind of "puppet master" behind the attack, if this person is that determined to get rid of Filin, then I fear that he will try to finish the job.

Edited March 20, 2013 by Marissa

[Farfallina]

I say "it looks" and "it seems" because that's how it looks to me. Tsiskaridze is given this soapbox in the media to freely accuse and criticize Filin. He accuses him of corruption and even of faking his attack. He claims that "everybody" in the troupe is questioning the seriousness of Filin's injuries. I guess he believes all the doctors in Moscow and Germany are in on this "hoax" as well. Tsiskaridze conveniently forgets to mention that it was the police who identified the substance in the jar as sulphuric acid and that it was the hitman (sorry can't remember how to spell his name) who admitted to buying the acid and throwing it in Filin's face.

 

There are people sympathizing with Dmitrichenko and calling his arrest an injustice. But what about the injustice done to Sergei Filin? He's been accused of being corrupt without being given the chance to respond and defend himself. Instead he's attacked with acid and then attacked in the press while trying to recover. I would think the fact that his main accuser is the man who's been openly campaigning for his job would arouse at least some skepticism of the veracity of these accusations. If there is suspicion of corruption at the Bolshoi let there be a formal investigation instead of these endless attacks in the press.

I wish I could "like" the post 10 times !!!

[Farfallina]

Thanks for the links, Clarissa. With so much personal animosity between them I wonder how Filin and Tsiskaridze will be able to continue to work together at the same theater when Filin does (hopefully) return? It sounds like he will be returning to the same poisonous atmosphere that was there when he was attacked. Personally I fear for his safety. If there really is some kind of "puppet master" behind the attack, if this person is that determined to get rid of Filin, then I fear that he will try to finish the job.

I start to believe it would be better for SF to consider a job abroad - if there are not going to be major changes - this would at least make a good point...

[MAB]

 

Answering to Marissa: In this article http://www.aif.ru/culture/article/61023, below the photo of  Tsiskaridze you can read just one short story out of many from the past, when Filin and T. were rivals on stage. Nina Ananiashvili chose Filin to dance with her the premiere of " Jiselle". (Nina A. is Georgian, same as T. )Tsiskaridze never forgot about it. In one of his countless TV interviews he said he never talks to Nina Ananiashvili , in contrary to Filin, who is saying Nina is his only friend. (About it you can read hear: http://yarcenter.ru/content/view/63425/161/ )

Unsurprisingly the link doesn't work. This is nothing more than petty gossip anyway.

 

How's the weather in Moscow today "Clarissa"?

[Clarissa]

On my humble opinion, Marissa,  Mr. Filin will return only if Mr.Tsiskaridze leaves the theatre. Anyway, I don't like any predictions, I simply wish Mr. Filin a speedy recovery. Now to "MAB" - I live not in Moscow, neither in Russia.    (Here in Auckland the weather is not bad, it was rain last night , though, but the day was brilliant.) So, I learn about all the news from the internet.  You say, this is a gossips in regards of which link?  I would not be that fast with my opinions without reading the articles. Pity you can't open the links  (both or one of them?) If you want, I can try to find something equal. 

[Clarissa]

Exactly which news report was that?  A link please.

 

The fact that she is a pupil of Tsiskaridze's is neither here nor there, he is one of the most popular teachers at the Bolshoi.

Tsiskaridze has got only two students and one of them is Anzhelina Vorontsova. recently Tsiskaridze was dismissed from the teaching position, the idea to close his position belongs to Yuri Grigorovich. Here it is the link: http://www.mk.ru/culture/article/2012/01/11/659278-bolshoy-teatr-uvolnyaet-nikolaya-tsiskaridze.html ; And here it is another link to prove that Anzhelina (Dmitrichenko's girlfirend) is Tsiskaridze's student : http://www.bbc.co.uk/russian/russia/2013/02/130208_tsiskaridze_filin_bolshoi.shtml,  - Tsiskaridze speaks about her to BBC. 

[Marissa]

I had no problem opening the links Clarissa posted.  And I've personally formed an opinion of Tsiskaridze based on his own words, not gossip.

[MAB]

So it was your mutual dislike of Tsiskaridze that led you both to post here?

 

 

Edited to amend grammar.

Edited March 20, 2013 by MAB

[Sim]

I also opened both links, but as I don't speak Russian they weren't much good to me!