Bolshoi Ballet May Lose Rights to 11 Productions in Grigorovich Fraud Case
The Bolshoi Theatre may lose rights to 11 iconic ballets, including The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, amid a fraud investigation over Yuri Grigorovich's legacy. Grigorovich died in May last year, willing his estate to nephew Nikolai Karatygin. However, he had already signed copyrights to Ruslan Pronin, his former assistant, who now heads the Yuri Grigorovich Foundation, earning €10,000 per performance. Karatygin filed fraud charges in December, noting Grigorovich was 98, in a care home, and heavily medicated. The Bolshoi also complained; cases merged in early 2026. No charges yet—Pronin remains a witness. An expert says Grigorovich couldn't have understood the signing.
Key facts
- Bolshoi Theatre risks losing rights to 11 productions including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle, Spartacus, and Ivan the Terrible.
- Dispute centers on Yuri Grigorovich's choreographic legacy.
- Grigorovich died on 19 May last year; his will left everything to nephew Nikolai Karatygin.
- Shortly before death, Grigorovich signed over copyrights to Ruslan Pronin.
- Pronin founded the Yuri Grigorovich Foundation and is its sole founder and director.
- Royalties are about 1 million rubles (€10,000) per performance.
- Karatygin filed a fraud report in December, alleging Pronin defrauded Grigorovich.
- At signing, Grigorovich was 98, in a care home, heavily medicated, and not fully in possession of his faculties.
- No formal charges filed; Pronin is treated as a witness, and an expert assessment says Grigorovich couldn't understand what he signed.
Entities
Artists
- Yuri Grigorovich
- Ruslan Pronin
- Nikolai Karatygin
- Igor Tsvirko
- Graham Spicer
- Carla Fracci
Institutions
- Bolshoi Theatre
- Bolshoi Ballet
- Yuri Grigorovich Foundation
- Post magazine
- Meduza
- Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Moscow Region
- Opera Now magazine
- BBC
- Woman's Weekly
- Gay Times
- Dancing Times magazine
- The Critics' Circle
- Dance Spirit
- Ballet2000
Locations
- Moscow
- Russia
- Moscow Region
- Milan
- Italy