A performer has died after being crushed by a piece of scenery during a performance at Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre. Yevgeny Kulesh, 38, was fatally injured while appearing in Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's opera "Sadko" when a backdrop collapsed on top of him during a scene change.
Despite the efforts of medical staff, Yevgeny could not be saved following the accident. The performance was stopped and spectators were asked to leave the auditorium, according to multiple sources reported by the BBC and the Daily Star.
Audience unaware of tragedy
The audience was reportedly unaware of the tragedy unfolding on stage as the performance continued before being halted. One audience member told Russian news outlet Ria.ru that she heard someone crying out for medical assistance and an ambulance, before announcing that someone had "got hit by the backdrop".
The witness said the orchestra abruptly stopped playing, and that "in less than a minute the curtain closed and the audience was asked to leave." Harrowing video footage of the incident has since emerged online, showing cast members in distress as they pleaded with Bolshoi staff to lift the backdrop from Yevgeny.
Investigation launched
Moscow's Investigative Committee confirmed in an official statement that both the incident and the death of the performer, who had been a member of the Bolshoi since 2002, are now subject to a formal investigation.
While reports suggest the death may have been partly caused by the performer moving in the wrong direction as the scenery was being lowered, fatal accidents at the theatre are not without precedent. In 2013, Viktor Sedov, a violinist who had spent four decades performing with the Bolshoi's orchestra, died after falling into the orchestra pit.
Former Bolshoi principal dancer Nikolai Tsiskardze spoke to Russian newspaper Komsomolkaya Pravda, asserting that he believed Yevgeny's death was in no way the performer's fault, but was instead the result of poor judgement on the part of the technical crew. He said: "Backstage is hell. Dancers damage their legs when sets and staircases fall over. There are no windows or ventilation."
