Revelations of the sordid activity that goes on at Bolshoi Ballet Theatre have exploded over the past few weeks, since the theatre director Sergei Filin was attacked with acid to the face. Now star ballerina Svetlana Lunkina told Russian newspaper Izvestia that she has fled to Canada and fears moving back to her native Russia after receiving threats. 

The threats against Svetlana are thought not to be linked to the attack of Filin, but are instead related to an altercation between her husband and a business partner in regard to a movie that is set to be made about another famous Russian ballerina. According to the New York Times, letters had been sent to the world's best ballet companies attacking her reputation, as well as having had her personal email account hacked. She has already been in Canada for 6 months but has requested extended leave from the threatre.

Despite the two incidents not being related Svetlana may fear she could meet the same fate as Filin, who had also received a number of threats and had his car tyres slashed before the attack. He is still recovering in hospital after an operation trying to save his eye sight, but is still sending orders to the theatre and vows to return to work as soon as possible.  Management are trying in vain to return focus to the exemplary work of the theatre as opposed to the criminal events surrounding it.