Bolshoi Dancer Thinks Acid Attack May Be One Giant Lie

The acid attack against the Bolshoi Ballet’s artistic director, Sergei Filin, continues to get stranger and stranger. Earlier this week, one of the company’s longest tenured dancers, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, told the Russian press he thinks there’s a distinct possibility Filin may be lying about the acid attack and he thinks the Bolshoi’s management should step down. Not surprisingly, no one involved enjoyed Tsiskaridze’s comments very much, and now, they’re threatening to file a lawsuit against him.

According to The New York Times, Tsiskaridze, 39, and the Bolshoi management have had a contentious relationship for years. The outspoken dancer has been passed over for promotions numerous times, and he’s reportedly feuded with many members of the company. After Filin’s attack, he was reportedly one of the first people the police interviewed. He refused to take a lie detector test, but apparently, he was far from the only member of the company who wanted nothing to do with the investigation.

Here’s a portion of Tsiskaridze’s quote about why he’s suspicious of the acid incident…

I’m pretty sure one of the litany of doctors who have worked on Filin would have blown the whistle if he wasn’t actually hit with any acid, but Tsiskaridze is certainly entitled to see a conspiracy if he feels one is there. As for whether it will make him even less likely to get a promotion, however, I would say it certainly won’t help.