The head of Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre has been fired following a series of scandals at the world-famous ballet company.
Anatoly Iksanov’s contract was not due to expire until December 2014 but the Ministry of Culture announced today that he was being removed from his post immediately.
His replacement will be Vladimir Urin, director of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theatre in Moscow.
Mr Iksanov was named general director of the Bolshoi in 2000 but the last year has seen the company mired in controversy and even violence.
In January, a masked man threw acid in the face of Sergei Filin, the company’s artistic director, causing serious burns and damage to his eyesight.
A fellow dancer, Pavel Dmitrichenko, later confessed to hiring two accomplices to carry out the attack, though he said he had only expected the men to beat Mr Filin. All three men are awaiting trial.
Mr Iksanov then became embroiled in a war of words with the Bolshoi’s principal dancer, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, implying that he also had something to do with the acid attack.
In turn Mr Tsiskaridze alleged that there was widespread corruption at the Bolshoi and called for the entire management board to be sacked and for himself to be put in charge.
In an interview earlier this year Mr Iksanov said “evil has entered the Bolshoi” and accused the Russian government of trying to oust him.
Mr Urin said today: “I hope that most people working in this theatre — talented, wonderful people — will be united with me, and only together can we solve the problems that exist here.”
