Doctors are fighting to save the eyesight of the Bolshoi Ballet's artist director, after he was hurt in an acid attack in Moscow. Sergei Filin was walking home late after a day's work at the home of the world-renowned Russian dance company when a masked man stopped him - as he was about to enter his apartment block - and threw acid in his face. Filin's colleagues say he'd suffered months of threats and it's thought the attack might be linking to recent jealousy and rivalry between factions within the company - all of which had been well-reported in the Russian media - and which were possibly to do with some of Filin's recent casting decisions.

Bolshoi soloist, Anastasia Meskova, was visibly shaken when she spoke to journalists about the attack, saying: …'It's hard to believe that such thing could happen in the art world….What does it have to do with the theatre? How could this have happened to such a wonderful Bolshoi ballet director, to a soloist, a brilliant soloist, to our colleague, to our friend. You know, it is a big tragedy for all of us, we're shocked, that is so inconceivable."

Filin's employers at the Bolshoi Ballet are paying for the injured former dancer - to be flown to a specialist military burns unit at a hospital in Brussels for more treatment.