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March 6th, 2013 
David Schulberg the 3rd
Svetlana Kokotova of the Moscow police said that officers believe that Mr
Dmitrichenko harbored “personal enmity based on his professional
activity.”
The Bolshoi Theater did not return calls and emails seeking comment Wednesday
morning.
The other two arrested men were Sergei Zarutsky, a 35-year-old who allegedly
carried out the attack, and Andrei Lipatov, the driver who is thought to
have delivered him to the scene.
A law enforcement source told the RIA Novosti news agency there was evidence
to suggest Mr Dmitrichenko was the “zakazchik” – the word Russians
use for the person who orders a contract hit or violent assault.
“At the moment the investigation has evidence that the attack was ordered
by Mr Dmitrichenko, the motives are being elaborated,” said the source.
Mr Filin was left with severe chemical burns to his eyes and face after the
assault and has undergone several operations. He is currently being treated
at a clinic in Germany.
Earlier on Tuesday, police had announced their seizure of Mr Lipatov in
Stupinio district south of Moscow. They also confirmed they had searched an
apartment belonging to Mr Dmitrichenko’s mother, which is reportedly in the
same building where Mr Filin lives on Moscow’s Troitskaya Street.
Towards the evening, events moved rapidly and police said they had also
detained Mr Zarutsky and Mr Dmitrichenko.
Mr Dmitrichenko, who joined the Bolshoi in 2002, has danced several major
parts in recent years, including Ivan the Terrible in the ballet of the same
name and the villain in “Swan Lake.”
Bolshoi Theater spokeswoman Katerina Novikova said on Tuesday management was
not aware of a conflict between him and Mr Filin. Channel One state
television reported, however, that Mr Dmitrichenko’s girlfriend, also a
Bolshoi soloist, was known to have been at odds with Mr Filin.
Asked if he knew who carried out the attack, Mr Filin said last month: “My
heart knows who did it, and in the depths of my soul I have an answer to
that question.” However, he admitted this was only “an idea”
and refused to name the person publicly.
The Bolshoi Theatre has been at the heart of cultural life in Russia since the
early 19th century, and its known for its passionate behind the scenes
conflicts.
L-R Yury Zarutsky, the suspected attacker, Andrei Lipatov,a suspected
accomplice and ballet soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko, who has confessed to
plotting the acid attack
Police earlier questioned Mr Filin’s family and members of the ballet troupe.
One of those interviewed was Nikolai Tsiskaridze, a principal dancer who had
an abrasive relationship with Mr Filin and who criticised the Bolshoi’s
management over the recent reconstruction of the theatre’s main building
saying it made it look like “a Turkish hotel”.
The general director of the Bolshoi said last month that Mr Tsiskaridze should
shoulder some of the blame for what happened to Mr Filin because of the
antagonistic atmosphere he had created. The dancer denied any involvement in
the attack, which he called a tragedy, and said he was the victim of a
campaign to discredit him.
Mr Dmitrichenko had supported Mr Tsiskaridze in some of his criticisms of the
theatre’s management. He was due to perform at the theatre in Sleeping
Beauty on March 16. He is reportedly married with a daughter.
With agencies
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