Acclaimed star Artyom Datsishin, who had performed the main roles in Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, and Romeo and Juliet, was fatally wounded in Kyiv two days after the Russian invasion began
Image: National Opera of Ukraine/east2west news)
A leading Ukrainian ballet star has died after being shelled by Russian invaders, provoking outrage from one of the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre’s biggest names.
Artyom Datsishin, 43, had been in hospital fighting for life for almost three weeks.
The internationally-acclaimed star – an Honoured Artist of Ukraine – had been wounded in the capital Kyiv two days after the Russian invasion began.
“On February 26, he was fired upon by the Russian military,” said friend Tatyana Borovik.
“He was seriously wounded and died in the hospital.”
Datsishin had performed the main roles in Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, and Romeo and Juliet.
He had toured in Europe and the USA.
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Image:
National Opera of Ukraine/east2west news)
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Image:
National Opera of Ukraine/east2west news)
His dance style was said to have had “academic expressiveness, romantic elation and psychological depth”.
Artyom funeral was being held today in Kyiv.
His death from Russian fire provoked anger from one of Moscow’s biggest ballet names, choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, former artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet.
“I am furious,” he said, adding that Datsishin’s death at the hands of Russian invaders provoked “unbearable pain”.
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Image:
National Opera of Ukraine/east2west news)
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Image:
National Opera of Ukraine/east2west news)
“Artyom Datsishin, a principal dancer with the National Opera House of Ukraine, died today in the Kyiv hospital from wounds received on February 26 when he got under Russian artillery fire.
“He was a beautiful dancer loved by his colleagues.
“Unbearable pain.”
Earlier in the month the Mirror told how a Russian ballerina hit out at Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine and claimed she is “ashamed” of Russia.
Olga Smirnova, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre, posted her opposition to the invasion of Ukraine – where she has family.
She then said: “I cannot but say that with every fibre of my soul I am against the war,” she said in an emotional post on Telegram.
“Probably every other Russian [person] has relatives or friends living in Ukraine.”
The 30-year-old St Petersburg-born star who has performances this month said her grandfather is Ukrainian – “and I am a quarter Ukrainian”.
“I never thought that I would be ashamed of Russia.
“I have always been proud of the talented Russian people, our cultural and sporting achievements.
“But now the line is drawn on the before and after.
“And it hurts that people are dying, while others are deprived of a roof over their heads or forced to leave their homes.”
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