Verdict in the Bolshoi Acid Attack
Bolshoi dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko has been found guilty of organizing the January acid attack on director Sergei Filin. Today, the Moscow court sentenced him to six years in prison. Yury Zarutsky, who threw the acid, was given 10 years, and the getaway driver, Andrei Lipatov, received four years. The three were also ordered to pay Filin 3.5 million rubles (about $105,250).
During the trial, Dmitrichenko, 29, admitted that he’d asked Zarutsky to “rough up” Filin, but said he had no idea about the plans to use acid. The entire court proceedings have been surrounded by a number of new rumors and scandals, from American Joy Womack quitting after claiming she was asked to bribe her way into roles, to accusations that Filin has abused his power and slept with certain dancers. The Bolshoi’s general director Anatoly Iksanov was fired over the summer, as was outspoken premier dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze. Yesterday, the company’s musical director resigned.
Although Dmitrichenko’s lawyers say they plan to appeal the verdict, we hope that the circus will calm down soon. And that Filin, who is still undergoing treatment for his limited vision, will be able to return to directing the company full-time again.
