Renowned Russian ballet dancer Vladimir Shklyarov dies in suspected accidental fall
Renowned Russian ballet dancer Vladimir Shklyarov was found dead beneath the windows of his residence, with law enforcement and close acquaintances suggesting an "accidental death." According to The Moscow Times, the principal dancer of the Mariinsky Theatre fell to his death in St. Petersburg between the night of November 15 and 16.
The report states that a close friend discovered his body and alerted the police. She recounted that Shklyarov had asked her to come over that night, but he was already deceased upon her arrival. The Russian Investigative Committee believes his death resulted from an accidental fall; reportedly, Shklyarov lost his balance on a narrow balcony while stepping out for fresh air and a cigarette, according to former ballerina Irina Bartnovskaya.
Adding to the tragic circumstances, the Mariinsky Theatre’s press office revealed that Shklyarov had a back injury and was due for spinal surgery just two days following his death. Notably, the late artist had publicly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In a now-deleted Instagram post, Shklyarov expressed his disapproval of the war, referencing his personal connections to Ukraine, his grandfather having graduated there and his great-grandmother having lived in Kyiv all her life. "I am against the war in Ukraine! I stand for people and peaceful skies above your heads. Politicians should know how to negotiate without shooting and killing civilians. They have been given language and brains to do so. [...] It's impossible to watch what’s happening today without tears," he wrote.
The ballet community had previously seen several artists oppose the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, including Shklyarov himself. Fast forward to September 28, 2024, Ukrainian ballet dancer Artem Kolbasinsky, who left his artistic career in Lithuania to join the defense forces back home, tragically lost his life in the war.