Bolshoi Ballet acid victim is now almost completely blind after 18 operations fail to save his sight

Sergei Filin, 42, was attacked in January by a masked man



He flew to Germany from Moscow for treatment in March

Despite initial optimistic reports, he has now lost 95 per cent of his vision



The artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet is now almost completely blind after 18 operations failed to save his sight following an acid attack earlier this year.



Sergei Filin, 42, was left with severe burns to his eyes and face when a masked attacker threw a jar of sulphuric acid in his face as he was returning home late on January 17.

He flew to Germany from Moscow for treatment in March, but despite initial optimistic reports, he has now lost 95 per cent of his vision and is totally blind in his right eye .

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Horrifying::Sergei Filin before and after the attack which has left him almost completely blind



Career over: ergei Filin starring in Gisellle in 2000. He had previously spoken of his desire to return to work, but now the prognosis looks bleak



A spokeswoman for the Bolshoi told The Times yesterday: 'He is now blind in his right eye. The problem is that it is acid and it continues to cause damage. He has had 18 operations and I understand that some of them were very difficult.'

She said that his facial burns had almost completely healed and his hair had grown back.



The spokeswoman also said that he continues to speak regularly on company business to Galina Stepanenko, who has been standing in for him.



The dancer: Pavel Dmitrichenko, 29, - known as 'Ivan the Terrible' for his talent for playing ballet villains - was remanded in custody until at least June 18 as the probe goes on into the scandal

The Bolshoi, one of Russia's best-known cultural symbols, filed two reprimands against Tsiskaridze for giving unauthorised interviews after the attack on Mr Filin.

When he arrived at Aachen University Clinic, Mr Filin said he was 'full of strength and faith' that he will eventually see well enough to return to work at the famed Moscow theatre.



But it appears his progress has now stalled and the prognosis for his sight is now bleak.

Pavel Dmitrichenko, 29, - known as 'Ivan the Terrible' for his talent for playing ballet villains - is accused of paying a 'hitman' £1,080 to attack Sergei Filin after his girlfriend was snubbed for a role.

But while Dmitrichenko has admitted ordering the attack, he argues he only wanted Filin 'beaten up' and did not sanction the use of sulphuric acid.

An alleged accomplice, Yuri Zarutsky, is accused of accepting 50,000 roubles, around £1,080, from Dmitrichenko to attack Mr Filin.

In April a judge in Moscow rejected his plea to be released on bail pending the results of a police investigation, deeming him a flight risk.

Allegations: Pavel Dmitrichenko (right) is said top have ordered the attack after his 'partner' Anzhelina Vorontsova (right) was snubbed for a role

Arrests: Alleged masked attacker Yury Zarutsky (left) and Andrei Lipatov (right), the driver who took part in attack on Filin, have both confessed to their involvement, police say

He was remanded in custody until at least June 18 as the probe goes on into the scandal.

As the biggest scandal in the history of Russian ballet, the case has gripped Russia as revelations exposing the internal rifts tearing the classical dance world apart as well as a string of murky sub-plots.

Police claim Dmitrichenko was motivated by fury at Filin for snubbing his girlfriend, 21-year-old Anzhelina Vorontsova.



'The main reason he gave to the investigator is revenge,' a police source told Russian newspaper Izvestia. 'Filin did not let her play leading dancing roles in the Bolshoi.'

But Dmitrichenko - who faces up to 12 years in jail if found guilty - claimed at an earlier court hearing that he was horrified when he realised that acid was used in the 17 January attack on Filin.

'When I heard what happened to Sergei, I was just in shock,' he said.



'I could not believe that the man who proposed beating him up went ahead and did this thing with acid.



Dancer: Sources say that Pavel Dmitrichenko may been upset about the treatment of his Bolshoi partner Anzhelina Vorontsova, 21, pictured above



'I did not order harm done to this man.'



However, Dmitrichenko and accomplices evidently also hacked 16,000 emails of top Bolshoi figures as he sought to prove that Filin demanded a percentage of fees obtained by troupe members in TV or sponsored dancing engagements outside the theatre.

It is unclear exactly when Dmitrichenko's trial will begin as police continue to investigate.



Earlier this month the principal ballet dancer with the Bolshoi Theatre claimed he was being forced out of the troupe over allegations that he was part of the acid attack



Nikolai Tsiskaridze, 39, has been told he must leave at the end of the month amidst claims by Bolshoi director Anatoly Iksanov that he may have been involved.



Crisis: General view of the hall from the Bolshoi Theatre stage in Moscow- the attack on Filin plunged the Bolshoi into a grave crisis

Mr Tsiskaridze's relationship with Mr Iksanov soured sharply after the Bolshoi director suggested that the Georgia-born dancer might have played a role inciting the attack.



Mr Tsiskaridze, who has been at the Bolshoi since 1992 as principal dancer and teacher, hit back saying the manager was conducting a witch hunt against him.



'This is hounding of the sole and most famous artist of the Bolshoi Theatre,' the dancer said.



The principal dancer has now been told that his contract will not be renewed when it expires at the end of June, Bolshoi spokeswoman Katerina Novikova said, but refused to give the reason for the decision.



The Bolshoi, one of Russia's best-known cultural symbols, filed two reprimands against Tsiskaridze for giving unauthorised interviews after the attack on Mr Filin













