The real-life drama surrounding Russia's Bolshoi Theater reached all new heights of absurdity this week when it was revealed that the acid attack on artistic director Sergei Filin was instigated by Pavel Dmitrichenko, primo ballerino and the face of the company's on-stage bad guy, Ivan the Terrible.
Images of Mr. Dmitrichenko as the horrible Russian czar have made their way across the internet, showing a villainous-looking man with slicked hair, furrowed eyebrows and spider-like legs; essentially the epitome of evil. He, along with two fellows that would look at home on the set of a Russian gangster film, have confessed to the crime, and are now awaiting trial in Moscow.
Dmitrichenko, who we imagine to be a taller, thinner and more agile version of Boris Badenov, is only one of a number of long, hard-to-pronounce Russian names that have filled news reports on the country's very own "Black Swan" saga. So we decided to put together a "Who's Who" of the Bolshoi Theater, a guide to everyone involved in the ensuing mess. Scroll through the slides below for a quick profile on the 10 biggest names associated with the turmoil.
Let us know your thoughts on the imbroglio in the comments.
