Russian ballet star, 39, ‘died in balcony fall’
RIPThe press service of the Mariinsky Theater has announced the death of its principal dancer Vladimir Shklyarov. ‘This is a huge loss for the entire Mariinsky Theatre team. Our condolences to the artist’s family, loved ones, friends and all the numerous fans of his work and talent,’ the statement read.
No cause of death was given. Unconfirmed reports are flashing around that Shklyarov, 39, fell from a balcony while trying to re-enter his apartment.
The internationally acclaimed performer was divorced recently from fellow-dancer Maria Shirinkina. They had two children together.
Retired ballerina Irina Bartnovskaya, the first to report the death, writes: ‘There is no need to ask the reason. A terrible tragedy. Let’s respect the memory of Vova and remember that he left behind small children.’
The company’s director, Valery Gergiev, was in Moscow yesterday, receiving another of his innumberable awards. This one is called the Legend Prize. It is supported by the Kremlin’s Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives.
IMHO he must have caught the Putin virus. This is horrible.
Yes, it seems to spread from oil company officials to other folk.
The current trend of Russians falling from windows or balconies has a morbid ring about it.
Falling from a balcony – who are they trying to kid?
Mr. Shklyarov publicly opposed the Ukraine war on social media.
Does the Russian government really think that the rest of the world believes that prominent Russians are inherently prone to this type of accident? What a scary place.
Rest in peace. Heartfelt condolences to his family.
Stop spreading disinformation. In Shklyarov’s one post on the subject, from 2022, he said he opposed “all war”, not ascribing blame on Russia. The poor guy just died, it is very sad, and you are speculating about some non-existent political motivation. Tributes to him are all over Russian state media, he was a darling of the regime. Can’t you be quiet for 5 minutes and let the poor man’s family grieve him in peace?
“speculating about some non-existent political motivation”? Really? He was Putin’s darling till he spoke his mind! Like Pavel Kushnir, like Navalny! PELEASE! No, we can’t and should not be quiet, not even for 1 second. Decent human beings stand up against tyrants like Putin.
There is nothing decent about baselessly politicising the tragic death of a wonderful artist. That doesn’t make you a good person.
On the contrary, when speaking of today’s Russia it is precisely the right question to act.
In today’s Russia, everything is political–or at least that’s the attitude of the state. You can be arrested for merely holding a completely blank sign in public.
I recommend you check Navalny’s video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzoCOXajz5A
Please remember that sentiment next time you criticize Gergiev and others who value living and who value their relatives’ lives too. Dealing with an ex-KGB operative is fraught with danger, both internationally and at home.
I’m sorry to read about the tragedy of this talented dancer.
The Russian government could not care less what the rest of the world believes.
Such accidents are common in Russia because the large fraction of the population lives in high rise apartment buildings. I myself had to climb balconies more than once when I locked myself out (and once I did this for my sis who locked herself out). Once I had to climb into a 40×30 cm window from the railings of my neighbor’s balcony, at 7th floor at -20 C…
Well you know, a ballet dancer…. Must not have very good balance……
Good luck trying to pin this one on the Russian government – Shklyarov was at least apolitical, at most a Putin loyalist. Sometimes people do just die in Russia, believe it or not. Sad for his family, may he rest in peace.
“Sometimes people do just die in Russia.” THE MAN WAS 39 AND AN AGILE DANCER.
Apologist much?
I’d like to know how he fell from his balcony while trying to enter his apartment. The door would presumably be at the farthest point from the balcony’s edge and he would also have been facing away from the edge. Tumbled down stairs, fell out of windows and now launched from a balcony. What’s next? Fell from the top of a Moscow skyscraper? Theme and variations à la Kremlin.
Also, was there no railing? It makes no sense.
Easy to fall off a balcony if the railing height is relatively low. I have no idea what the rules are in St. Petersburg but most apartments elsewhere – as also on cruise ships, for example – have railings of a certain minimum height which makes an accidental fall quite difficult. Unless you are particularly tall, you really have to climb up and jump. Was the railing on his balcony relatively low for his height? Anyone know how tall he was? Would he have jumped? I have not the slightest idea.
As has already been stated Shklyarov published an anti war statement at the beginning of hostilities, hardly apolitical. He was a dancer with an exceptionally high profile who danced with non Russian companies including the Royal Ballet where his fans dubbed him skylark. His experience of working outside of Russia would have made him immune to the nationalistic ravings of Putin.
The fact that conflicting theories are circulating from Russia should make everyone suspicious, they can’t even agree on whether he fell from a balcony or a parapet. There’s more to this than a simple accident.
Wow, so by your theory, what, it just took the FSB two years to get round to the job? There is no political background to this tragic story. He criticised “all war”, once, in a Facebook post two years ago, not criticising Russia’s invasion specifically. This is a phrase many Russian artists and sportspeople have said, and indeed Patriarch Kirill himself, and all are still alive and well. I really do believe this was just a tragic accident. We could go into Shklyarov’s relationship with certain substances, but I will not do so out of respect.
Norman, please STOP with the misleading stories about Russia. You completely twist the words of Bartnovskaya with your amateurish translation “there is no need to ask the reason,” which implies there is some hidden reason behind Shklyarov’s death that she knows about.
What she actually said is closer in meaning to “let’s not speculate about the reason”, out of respect for his family. You don’t know these people, you don’t know Russia, and you don’t know the culture, so just quit writing about stuff you don’t understand.
A newspaper had a cartoon just after their last elections: a pie chart showing the breakdown by Voted for Putin, Voted for Putin Twice, Fell out of Balcony.
So, did James Le Mesurier vote for Putin or he just fell out of balcony?
I>t is amazing how many people fall off balconies in Russia.
Fall from a balcony…. recent divorce…. Russia ..some troubling elements about cause of death, could look like a “self accident”..
“Recent divorce”! No doubt that troubled him, as would the prospect of spinal surgery a few days later, but surely we should remember he and his ex-wife had two young children. Hard to think that someone would deliberately jump from a 5th floor balcony knowing his children whom he reportedly adored depended on him
Offend Putin publicly and you too get the Putin School of Flight flying lesson sans chute as well.
It’s for sure not a political reason. The Instagram post about being against war, borders (March 22) dissapeared soon after; nothing similar followed and the dancer went on with his career in Russia (with a clear decrescendo regarding roles, not at all surprising given his age and injuries). Meanwhile the very long and very opinionated post of his (ex (?) – reports are contradicting about that)wife is still up on her Insta (which is rarely used). Putin’s Russia kills, no doubt, think of Pavel Kushnir who was incarcerated and accused because of some content on his YT channel with less then 10 (!) followers and died as a result of his hunger strike and the abuse suffered in prison; falling out of windows is really frequent especially for persons with a military or economic background, with Prigoshin, who was certainly aware of that and taking precaution, it was another matter and one had to resort to another, more complex method. But to assume Putin will wait for more than 2 1/2 years to go after a dancer’s vanished post is really far far away from any logic.
While Shklyarov was an obedient non-commenter on social media regarding the Ukraine war — save for one instance — we don’t know what he might have expressed to his colleagues, Mariinsky officials, friends, or to others when he traveled outside of Russia to perform. If he was like most of us, he may have said a lot more off-line that would concern the regime should such comments get back to the regime or be observed in private emails. Now comes the time when Shklyarov requires “very complex spinal surgery” in Russia. If you were Shklyarov, would you worry about the effect your political comments might have on the success of your surgery–whether you would ever dance again, or even walk again? The silence of several prominent Russian ballet dancers (active or retired) and their reluctance to even express public condolences, is deafening.