Famed Russian ballet dancer Vladimir Shklyarov, 39, dies in fall from balcony in Saint Petersburg

Police in Russia are investigating after renowned Russian ballet dancer Vladimir Shklyarov reportedly fell to his death over the weekend. He was 39.

Shklyarov was a star dancer at the Mariinsky, the historic opera and ballet venue in Russia’s imperial capital of Saint Petersburg. His funeral will be held on Thursday, the Mariinsky Theatre announced.

Citing theater representatives, Russian media reported that he fell from a fifth-floor balcony on Saturday after taking painkillers ahead of back surgery that had been scheduled for Monday.

“His loss is deeply felt by the entire Mariinsky family and the wider ballet world,” the theater said Monday in a statement, without commenting on the circumstances of Shklyarov’s death.

Shklyarov had been a principal dancer with the theater since 2011, “captivating audiences with his expressive artistry and technical brilliance,” it said.

He was married to fellow company dancer Maria Shklyarov, with whom he had two children, CBS News’ partner network BBC News reported.

A memorial service will be held Thursday at the theater, followed by a church service and burial in central Saint Petersburg.

Russian investigators have launched a probe into Shklyarov’s death, according to the state-run RIA Novosti news agency, which said authorities’ preliminary assessment was that it was likely to have been an accident.

Shklyarov won several prestigious awards for his performances in classic ballets including The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty and Manon, and had regularly toured internationally.

Shortly after Russia launched its full-scale military offensive on Ukraine, Shklyarov criticized Russia for ordering troops into the neighboring nation in a social media post that was later deleted.

Unlike other some performers, such as Olga Smirnova, a prima ballerina at Moscow’s famed Bolshoi who left the country in protest, Shklyarov stayed in Russia and continued performing with the Mariinsky under its pro-Kremlin leadership.

Shklyarov had performed at prestigious venues around the world, including the Royal Opera House in London and Metropolitan Opera in New York, according to the BBC. In 2014 and 2015, he was a featured guest artist at the American Ballet Theatre in New York, the BBC said.

“We mourn the tragic loss of Vladimir Shklyarov, an extraordinary artist whose grace and passion inspired audiences worldwide,” the American company wrote on Instagram Sunday. “Your light will continue to shine through the beauty you brought to this world.”

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