Bolshoi Mulls Settlement In Tsiskaridze Reprimand Case
Published: April 10, 2013 (Issue # 1754)
MOSCOW — The Bolshoi Theater may offer an amicable settlement in a lawsuit filed by its flamboyant soloist dancer, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, over reprimands he received from the theater’s administration for giving interviews to the media, Interfax reported.
“A settlement agreement is possible if Tsiskaridze withdraws his lawsuit,” the theater’s spokesperson said at a hearing at the Tverskoi District Court on Tuesday.
Tsiskaridze, who has been questioned by police as part of an ongoing investigation into the acid attack on the Bolshoi Ballet’s director Sergei Filin, filed a lawsuit saying the reprimands he received for giving interviews to the media were baseless.
According to the Bolshoi’s regulations, staff should “avoid conflict situations that may cause damage to the image, reputation and authority of the theater or its leadership.”
In an interview with the BBC in February, Tsiskaridze suggested that the Bolshoi’s leadership should be dismissed and cast doubt on whether it was actually acid that was thrown into Filin’s face.
The Bolshoi’s administration considered the interview a violation of the theater’s regulations and officially reprimanded the dancer. He was also reprimanded for giving an interview to the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper.
Tsiskaridze denied violating any rules and filed a complaint with the court to declare the reprimands illegal.
“We were surprised by the possibility of making an amicable settlement that was suggested by the Bolshoi’s representative. We would want this document to stipulate that all Tsiskaridze’s reprimands will be expunged,” the dancer’s lawyer said after the hearing.
The court has adjourned until April 12, when the sides will discuss a settlement, provided that the relevant documents are prepared by then.