Merkuryev, an Honored Artist of Russia, called Grigorovich a unique person.

Soviet and Russian choreographer Yuri Grigorovich was a unique man, and his contribution is still not fully appreciated. This was announced on May 19 by Honored Artist of Russia, leading soloist of the Bolshoi Theater Andrey Merkuryev in an interview with Izvestia.

"It always seemed to me that people like Grigorovich would live forever, that they would never leave us, die, or leave the world. <...> He was unique, but his choreography is recognizable, and when asked about Yuri Nikolaevich Grigorovich's contribution to the art of ballet, to the work of each of us, I it seems that we still underestimated him to the end," Merkuryev said.

According to him, Grigorovich delighted people with his exactingness. The soloist noted that the choreographer could be quite "cruel" during rehearsals, but all this was done for the sake of achieving the result.

Andrey Borisov, General Director of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Theater, in turn, stressed that Grigorovich's death is an irreparable loss for the entire world ballet art.

"Yuri Nikolaevich is not only a national and creative person, but also a global one. In this sense, the entire ballet art of the world has suffered an irreparable loss," Borisov said.

In addition, he noted that despite the death of the choreographer, his era has not gone away, and it will last as long as Grigorovich's performances are on stages around the world.

"He remains with us, he is our heritage, he is our traditions, and we will try to maintain these traditions to the best of our ability," said the CEO.

Dictator of beauty: choreographer Yuri Grigorovich has died

The outstanding choreographer staged his first ballet at the age of 20

Grigorovich's death became known earlier that day. The choreographer died at the age of 98. Since 1964, he has been the chief choreographer of the Bolshoi Theatre. Grigorovich is the author of eight original ballets, as well as the editor of almost all classical productions that formed the basis of the Bolshoi Theater's repertoire. Olga Lyubimova, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, called the choreographer a symbol of an entire epoch in the history of ballet art. According to her, the contribution of the People's Artist of the USSR to the development of Russian choreography cannot be overestimated.