Yahoo Lifestyle Russian Ballet Star Dead at 39 in Freak Accident
Vladimir Shklyarov, a famed Russian ballet dancer, died in what officials believe was a freak accident. He was 39.
The Mariinsky Theatre, a popular opera house in St. Petersburg, Russia, confirmed the dancer’s death in a Saturday, Nov. 16, post on Instagram. The venue shared a black and white photo of Shklyarov alongside a message that explained he’d died “tragically” that evening in what was “a huge loss for the entire staff of the Mariinsky Theater,” according to an Instagram translation of the Russian caption.
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“We express our condolences to the family, friends of the artist and all the many fans of his work and talent,” the venue’s statement added. Additional information about when fans would be able to pay their respects to Shklyarov was expected to be forthcoming in the days ahead.
Anna Kasatkina, a spokesperson for the Mariinsky Theatre, told Russian news outlet Fontanka that Shklyarov died following a fall from the fifth floor of a building. The St. Petersburg Investigative Committee told the media outlet that the fall was believed to have been an accident, though an investigation into the fall was reportedly underway.
Shklyarov was battling a back injury before his fall and was “taking serious painkillers,” Kasatkina said in a statement to Fontanka. The dancer was scheduled to undergo spinal surgery this week to address the injury.
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An earlier Nov. 16 article by Fontanka cited former ballerina Irina Bartnovskaya in reporting Shklyarov’s fall. Bartnovskaya alleged on Telegram that Shklyarov “went out onto the balcony to get some air and smoke,” at which time he “lost his balance” and “fell down,” an incident that Bartnovskaya described as "a stupid, unbearable accident.”
Prior to his death, Shklyarov performed as a dancer with the Mariinsky Theatre for more than 20 years. He appeared in several of the venue’s popular productions, including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote, and many others, according to Fontanka.
