People’s Artist of the USSR, renowned Russian and Soviet ballerina Svetlana Adyrkhaeva died at age 86.
“Svetlana Adyrkhaeva passed away two hours ago after a long illness at home,” stated the press service of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia.
The exact time and date of departure have not yet been set and will be announced separately.
“Part of the great history of the Bolshoi”
“Her life was inseparably linked with the Bolshoi Theater, where she served with unwavering loyalty until her last days. We mourn her loss and know that Svetlana Dzantemirovna will forever remain a part of the Bolshoi Theatre’s grand history,” said Mahar Vaziev, artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet.
Vaziev expressed gratitude for Adyrkhaeva’s generosity in sharing a love for ballet, theater, and talent. “We will remember her as long as we live,” he said.
Adyrkhaeva remained active close to the end, according to news reports about the Bolshoi Theater. Ksenia Ryabinkina noted that the ballerina recently gave a concert with her students in Vladikavkaz.
“Svetlana Adyrkhaeva was a wonderful dancer, graceful and beautiful. Until her last day she stayed in her working uniform, taught students, and even traveled with them to Vladikavkaz. She was a remarkable person and a true ballerina, and I am deeply sorry for the loss,” Ryabinkina remarked.
Parties at the Bolshoi Theater
Svetlana Adyrkhaeva was born on May 12, 1938, in the village of Khumalag, within the North Ossetian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. From 1960 to 1988 she served as a soloist with the Bolshoi Ballet Ensemble, studying under the guidance of People’s Artist of the USSR Asaf Messerer and appearing in photographs for the textbook “Classical Dance Lessons.” Her teachers included Galina Ulanova and Marina Semenova.
In 1980 she graduated from the State Institute of Theater Arts, specializing in the Ballet Master’s Department. After completing her studies, she joined the troupe of the Chelyabinsk Opera and Ballet Theater and later danced with the Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater from 1958 to 1960.
“The great dancers were distinct both on stage and in rehearsal. Marina Timofeevna taught with brightness, breadth, and intensity. If she sensed an artist’s immediate perception, she would spark excitement and temperament. Ulanova spoke softly, corrected gently, and paid attention to nuances, building a piece by piece performance into a true spiritual portrait,” Adyrkhaeva recalled.
On the main ballet stage of the country, she portrayed roles such as Zarema in Boris Asafiev’s Bakhchisaray Fountain, Odette-Odile in Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Kitri in Ludwig Minkus’s Don Quixote, and the lead in Khachaturian’s Gayane alongside other celebrated works like Copper Mountain in Stone Flower by Prokofiev.
She received the title of People’s Artist in 1984 and was honored with the Order of the Badge of Honor, among other distinctions.
“You can’t calm down in ballet”
In 1991 she founded her own troupe, Svetlana Adyrkhaeva Ballet Theatre, serving as artistic director until 1996, when sponsorship instability led to bankruptcy. “The toughest period was 1991–1996. We all faced displacement from the theater, not only in ballet but also in opera. They swept away all of us with a dirty broom,” she explained about founding the company.
From 1995 to 2001 Natalia Nesterova taught classical dance at the Academy of Choreography of the New Humanitarian University. In 2001 Adyrkhaeva returned to the Bolshoi Theater as a teacher, working with Evgenia Obraztsova, Anastasia Stashkevich, Maria Semenyachenko, Anastasia Yatsenko, Anna Antonicheva, and many other artists.
“One cannot be truly successful in ballet and simply stop. Forward movement is essential. Катя and Настя (Ekaterina Krysanova and Anastasia Stashkevich) are right there after graduation. They are not only highly skilled but also real artists who work with discipline and vision. I am proud of all my pupils,” she reflected on mentoring her students.
Since 2013 she held a seat on the Bolshoi Ballet Ensemble’s Art Council. She was married to Alexei Zakalinsky, a dancer, choreographer, and teacher, and they had a daughter named Fatima.