The incredible, "only in the movies" story at the Bolshoi Ballet has just taken a startling turn on Tuesday. Ever since the sulfuric acid attack in January on Sergei Filin, artistic director of the company, the search has been on for those responsible, and today three men were arrested by Interior Ministry police.
The most dramatic development in the case of the assault which left Filin, the 42-year-old former dancer, nearly blinded, is the now-public allegation that Bolshoi soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko might have been the instigator of the plot.
The dancer, who has danced the title role in the ballet Ivan the Terrible, was among those arrested, the BBC reported Tuesday evening Moscow time. The initial report also identified 35-year-old Yury Zarutsky, accused of having carried out the attack, in custody.
Interior Ministry spokesman Anatoly Lastovetsky said Dmitrichenko is suspected of planning the attack. Bolshoi Theater spokeswoman Katerina Novikova said management was not aware of a conflict between him and Filin, but Channel One state television reported that Dmitrichenko's girlfriend, also a Bolshoi soloist, was known to have been at odds with Filin.
It has been known for a long time that Bolshoi Theater has been troubled by deep intrigue and infighting backstage; it had led to the departure of several artistic directors over the past few years.