Shock at the death of Vladimir Shkliarov, Russian ballet star, at age 39

Prominent personalities and institutions, as well as admirers of the world of dance, expressed their sadness at the death of the considered prince of Russian ballet, Vladimir Shkliarovdied on Saturday at 39 years old after falling from the fifth floor of a building.

“We are deeply shocked by the tragic death of Vladimir Shklyarov at the peak of his talent,” the Bolshoi Theater said in a statement.

The note adds that Shkliarov “performed almost all the roles of the classical repertoire at the Mariinsky Theater and performed several times on the Bolshoi stage.”

The death of the dancer is “a great loss for the entire Mariinsky Theater group”they pointed out in this institution.

According to a note released this Monday, admirers of Shkliarov’s talent will be able to say goodbye to him on November 21 in Saint Petersburg, his hometown.

Irina Bartnovskaya, the deceased’s partner and former Russian dancer, reported on her Telegram account The farewell ceremony will be open to everyone, family, friends and Mariinsky spectators.

“So that Volodya leaves the theater for the last time to the applause of all who love him,” he wrote.

Bartnovskaya was the first to previously share details of Shkliarov’s death “to avoid speculation in the media,” as she said.

“Volodya was at home, taking painkillers and preparing to have foot surgery. He went out to the balcony to get some air and smoke, lost his balance (a very narrow balcony) and fell (from the fifth floor)“, he noted. He added that the artist loved life, his family and his viewers.

According to the Russian Investigative Committee, the death of the famous artist was due to an accident.

The Russian dancer was the greatest male figure of the Mariinsky ballet and a prominent name on the international dance scene.

Born in Leningrad, in the former USSR, in February 1985, Shkliarov graduated with honors from the Vaganova Academy in 2003, and that same year he joined the Mariinsky company, where he has been a principal dancer since 2011.

Throughout his career, he participated in different works such as Giselle, Don Quixote o Romeo and Julietand received numerous distinctions. The dancer was divorced from the Mariinsky prima ballerina, María Shirinkina, and had two minor children.