Ballet world mourns: Russian star dies in tragic fall
Vladimir Shklyarov, a world-renowned Russian ballet star, has died at the age of 39 after falling from the fifth floor of a building. The Mariinsky Theatre confirmed the artist's death, and an investigation is underway.
10:01 AM EST, November 18, 2024
According to Mariinsky Theatre spokesperson Anna Kasatkina in an interview with the Fontanka portal, Vladimir Shklyarov was taking strong painkillers due to a spinal injury and had a surgery scheduled for Monday. On Saturday, November 16, the star died after falling from the balcony of a fifth-floor building.
RIA Novosti reported that an investigation into the artist's death has begun, and preliminary results indicate it was an "unfortunate accident."
A world-renowned dancer has passed away
Vladimir Shklyarov was born in St. Petersburg in 1985. In 2003, he joined the Mariinsky Theatre ballet company, and in 2011, he was promoted to principal dancer, the highest rank in the company.
The Mariinsky Theatre called his death "a tremendous loss." They said, "We express our condolences to the artist's family, his close ones, friends, and all the numerous admirers of his work and talent... He has forever etched his name in the history of world ballet."
During his 20-year career, as noted by "The Guardian," Shklyarov performed in ballet classics such as "Swan Lake," "Romeo and Juliet," "Sleeping Beauty," and "Don Quixote," as well as in contemporary productions like Christopher Wheeldon's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." He danced on stages around the world, including at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Royal Opera House in London.
In 2013, Shklyarov married Maria Shklyarova, a colleague from the Mariinsky Theatre. The couple had two children.
Source: "The Guardian"
