Russian Ballet star Vladimir Shklyarov breathes his last at 39

Russian Ballet star Vladimir Shklyarov tragically passed away in a freak accident at the age of 39.

The Ballet dancer, who spent more than two decades dancing at St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre, was previously battling a back injury as he was reportedly “taking serious painkillers.”

The Mariinsky Theatre, a renowned St. Petersburg opera house, announced his passing on Saturday, November 16.

The opera house confirmed the dancer’s death in a heartbreaking post on Instagram which read in Russian, “Tonight, the favorite of the public, the star premier of the Mariinsky Theater, Honored Artist of Russia Vladimir Shklyarov, died tragically. This is a huge loss for the entire staff of the Mariinsky Theater.

“We express our condolences to the family, friends of the artist and all the many fans of his work and talent.”

Sharing a monochrome photo of Shklyarov alongside an explanatory note, Mariinsky referred to it as a “huge loss for the entire staff of the theatre.”

For the unversed, the late dancer was scheduled to undergo a spinal surgery this week in order to address the serious injury.