Bolshoi Ballet Dancer Convicted

Bolshoi ballet soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko was found guilty Tuesday of organizing an acid attack on the company’s artistic director in Moscow nearly a year ago. The dancer admitted to wanting Bolshoi artistic director Sergei Filin “roughed up,” but Dmitrichenko has denied ordering the attackers to throw acid in Filin’s face. Dmitrichenko’s fellow defendant, Yuri Zarutsky, admitted to actually throwing the acid and a third defendant, Andrew Lipatov, drove Zarutsky to and from Filin’s Moscow apartment, where the attack occurred. Zarutsky was sentenced to 10 years and Lipatov to four years in prison. Filin has had more than 20 operations to repair his eyesight, which was severely damaged in the attack. He has been replaced as artistic director of the famous ballet.