A 38-year-old performer died after being crushed by falling stage scenery during a live performance at Russia’s renowned Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
The victim, identified as Yevgeny Kulesh, was performing in Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera Sadko when the fatal accident occurred on stage in front of a live audience.
Kulesh was reportedly caught beneath a large piece of scenery while a backdrop was being moved during a change of the stage set.
Medical personnel rushed to the scene and attempted to save him, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Audience Initially Unaware of Tragedy
The accident happened during the performance, with reports indicating that many members of the audience initially did not realise that a serious incident had occurred on stage.
An audience member told Russian media outlet RIA Novosti that she suddenly heard someone calling for medical assistance and an ambulance after the performer was struck by the backdrop.
She said the orchestra stopped playing shortly afterwards and the curtain came down within about a minute.
The audience was then reportedly asked to leave the auditorium as emergency personnel attended to the performer.
Performer Trapped Beneath Backdrop
Video footage circulating online reportedly showed fellow performers visibly distressed as they called for Bolshoi Theatre staff to remove the scenery from Kulesh.
The performer was said to have become trapped underneath the stage structure as it was being lowered during the scenery change.
Reports have suggested that Kulesh may have moved in the wrong direction while the scenery was being lowered, but the circumstances surrounding the accident had not been conclusively established at the time of the reports.
Moscow’s Investigative Committee announced that the circumstances of the accident and the performer’s death were under investigation.
Bolshoi Theatre Performance Halted
The tragedy brought the opera to an abrupt end, with reports stating that the performance was stopped and spectators were asked to vacate the theatre.
The incident transformed what had been a live theatrical performance into an emergency response, with performers and staff attempting to reach their colleague beneath the fallen scenery.
The Bolshoi Theatre is one of Russia’s most prominent cultural institutions and is internationally known for its opera and ballet productions.
Kulesh Had Worked at Bolshoi Theatre Since 2002
Kulesh had reportedly been associated with the Bolshoi Theatre since 2002, making the incident particularly significant for the theatre community.
His death occurred while he was performing in Sadko, an opera by Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
The production was interrupted following the accident as investigators and emergency personnel responded to the scene.
Investigation Underway
Moscow’s Investigative Committee said an investigation had been opened into the circumstances surrounding the accident and the performer’s death.
The investigation is expected to establish how the scenery was being operated, what happened immediately before Kulesh was trapped and whether safety procedures were followed during the set change.
Reports that the performer may have moved into the path of the descending scenery remain part of the early accounts of the incident and should not be treated as an established finding until investigators complete their work.
The tragedy has once again highlighted the risks performers and stage crews can face during complex theatrical productions, where large sets and mechanical equipment are routinely moved while performances are underway.
For Kulesh, however, what began as another performance at the historic Moscow theatre ended in a fatal stage accident witnessed by his fellow performers and members of the audience.
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