MOSCOW (AP) — A masked assailant threw acid at the artistic director of Russia’s Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe, an attack that Bolshoi representatives said may cause him to lose his eyesight and appeared to be linked to power struggles at the famed ballet company.
Sergei Filin, a 42-year-old former ballet star, was approached late Thursday night by a man who threw the acid at his face as he got out of his car outside his home in central Moscow, police spokesman Arkady Bashirov said. Theater officials said the man was masked.
The theater’s general director, Anatoly Iksanov, said he believed the attack was linked to Filin’s work.
“He is a man of principle and never compromised,” Iksanov said.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less