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Russian ballet star Vladimir Shklyarov dies after falling from a building
Russian authorities reportedly said that the ‘preliminary cause’ for the ballet star's death is suspected to be an accident.
World-renowned Russian ballet star, Vladimir Shklyarov, plunged to death from the fifth floor of a building on Saturday, The artist made headlines when he publicly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Mariinsky Theatre, a place in St. Petersburg where Shklyarov was one of the highest-ranked dancers, confirmed his death. "This is a huge loss for the entire Mariinsky Theatre team," it added.
An investigation into the death of the ballet world's star has been launched by the Russian authorities. However, the "preliminary cause" has been suspected to be an accident, state media outlet RIA Novosti reported.
"He died a natural death. It's not a crime," an emergency services source told the state media, according to CNN.
The Russian ballet star died just two days before he was scheduled to undergo a complex spinal surgery. For some time, Shklyarov reportedly has been taking "serious painkillers".
Vladimir Shklyarov's life and career
Born in St. Petersburg, the dancer graduated from the prestigious Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in 2003. The same year, he joined the Mariinsky Theater group and since 2011, he has been a principal dancer there, which is the highest-ranking position in the group.
Shklyarov starred in many honourable productions, including "Sleeping Beauty", "Romeo and Juliet", "Don Quixote", and "Swan Lake". In his more than 20-year-long career, the Russian ballet artist also performed as a guest dancer with foreign companies, including London's Royal Ballet and New York's American Ballet Theatre.
Shkylarov also has several honoraries and awards to his name, such as the Leonide Massine International Prize in 2008. In fact, he was also appointed an Honored Artist of Russia in 2020, CNN reported.
Notably, he was among those who openly criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine (in 2022). A Russian-Ukrainian former ballet dancer, Alexei Ratmansky, had reportedly quoted Shklyarov in a Facebook post: "I am against the war in Ukraine! I am for the people, for a peaceful sky above our heads!"
The Russia ballet star was married to a fellow dancer at the Mariinsky Theater, Maria Shirinkina and has two children, a son and a daughter.
In a separate post on Instagram, the Mariinsky Theater said, "We mourn the tragic loss of Vladimir Shklyarov, an extraordinary artist whose grace and passion inspired audiences worldwide. Your light will continue to shine through the beauty you brought to this world."
"He forever inscribed his name in the history of world ballet," the company wrote.
