Anatoly Iksanov, who directed Russia’s prestigious Bolshoi Theatre since 2000, has been fired by the Russian government months after an attack on one of its artistic director tarnished the theater’s image.
The 61-year-old’s tenure was marked by high points like the restoration of the company’s historic Moscow theater, but was also plagued by corruption and crime. Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky said that Iksanov had done great things for the theater, but it was time for a change, especially after the acid attack on Sergei Filin.
This “was not a spontaneous decision,” Medinsky told the media, reports The Los Angeles Times. “[Iksanov] has done a lot, completing the reconstruction and opening the new stage. But everyone understands that human resources have their limits: The complicated situation is asking for change the theater needs.”
Reuters reports that the experienced Vladimir Urin has replaced Iksanov.
“A difficult situation had developed at the theatre and in the troupe, and everything pointed to the need for renewal at the theatre,” Medinsky said.
Filin, the company’s artistic director, was attacked in January after he had received threats. He was very close to losing his eyesight and went to Germany for surgery. In March, Russian police said that the lead dancer had confessed to the crime.
But Reuters notes that the incident may not be the only recent event that lead to Iksanov’s firing. Insiders told the publication that he and President Vladimir Putin may have gotten into an argument after Iksanov didn’t give a role to the prima ballerina Putin liked.
“I do not plan any revolutions,” Urin told the media at the press conference at the Kremlin. “Only together can we solve the problems that, as in any theatre, exist today in the Bolshoi Theatre.”