Bolshoi Ballet reportedly being investigated by Russian officials
The Bolshoi Ballet will be the subject of a government audit after January’s acid attack on the company’s artistic director, according to an Associated Press report.
The legendary dance company has been in the international spotlight after assailants threw acid in the face of artistic director Sergei Filin near his Moscow home.
Russia’s audit agency said Thursday that the investigation had been planned in advance, according to the AP. It said the audit isn’t linked to the accusations of financial abuse raised by Bolshoi soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko, who was arrested this month on charges of staging the attack on Filin.
However, the AP cited Russia’s daily Izvestia, which said the auditors were specifically looking at Filin’s spending decisions, including the distribution of grants between dancers.
Dmitrichenko is believed to have masterminded the assault, though he has stated that he didn’t expect acid to be used.
Filin suffered serious burns to his face and partial loss of vision. He has undergone extensive medical treatment and may return to work later this year.
This week, a former dancer at the Bolshoi publicly accused company management of pimping out its female dancers to wealthy patrons. The claims come from Anastasia Volochkov, a dancer who left the company a decade ago.
Bolshoi general director Anatoly Iksanov has dismissed the claims, according to reports.
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