Man Dies After Accident During Scene Change at the Bolshoi Theatre in Russia

A performer was killed at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow this weekend, after an accident took place during a scene change, The New York Times reports.

The man who passed away, Yevgeny Kulesh, was in his late 30s, and was working as an extra in a performance of the opera "Sadko" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. He was crushed by a piece of scenery as a backdrop descended to the stage. The show came to an immediate halt, and the performers exited the stage while the curtains closed.

The Bolshoi released a statement, revealing that it is assisting investigators to determine the exact circumstances of the death.

Kulesh worked as part of a 50-person group of Bolshoi employees who serve as onstage extras, supplementing singers and dancers.

Read the full story on The New York Times.

The Bolshoi is Russia's main national theatre, a bearer of the traditions of Russian music culture and a centre of world music culture, the spearhead of the development of the country's performing arts.