Mariinsky Ballet Star Vladimir Shklyarov Dies in Tragic Fall

Vladimir Shklyarov, a longtime principal dancer of the Mariinsky Ballet in St. Petersburg and an Honored Artist of Russia, died tragically over the weekend. A Mariinsky spokesperson told the Russian newspaper Fontanka that the 39-year-old passed away on November 16 after falling five stories from his balcony in St. Petersburg. According to Anna Kasatkina, the Mariinsky’s spokesperson, he had been taking painkillers in preparation for a scheduled back surgery this week. A federal investigation is underway, but for now his death has been labeled an accident.

Shklyarov, known for his boundless energy and boyish charm onstage, joined the Mariinsky Ballet in 2003 after graduating from the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg. He rose to principal dancer in 2011, becoming one of the company’s most acclaimed and recognizable stars. His vast repertoire included a wide array of classical roles, as well as contemporary ballets by Wayne McGregor and Angelin Preljocaj. In 2013, he married Mariinsky first soloist Maria Shirinkina, with whom he had two children.

Shklyarov performed frequently abroad, dancing as a principal with Germany’s Bayerisches Staatsballett during its 2016–17 season and as a guest artist with American Ballet Theatre in 2014 and 2015. One of his most memorable ABT performances was as Albrecht in 2015, during then-soloist Stella Abrera’s surprise debut as Giselle. “Ardor beamed outward from his steps,” wrote Alastair Macaulay, then critic for The New York Times, of Shklyarov’s performance. “His dozens of glittering entrechat-six—his feet rapidly crisscrossing in the air while his arms slowly ascended as if to suggest he was reaching a transcendent delirium—will stay in memory.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 put an end to Shklyarov’s appearances in the West on company tours. He had initially opposed the war in a social media post, which he later deleted.

Colleagues and friends, including Xander Parish and Diana Vishneva, have been paying tribute to Shklyarov on social media. “We mourn the tragic loss of Vladimir Shklyarov, an extraordinary artist whose grace and passion inspired audiences worldwide,” ABT said in its own post. “Your light will continue to shine through the beauty you brought to this world.”