A performer met a tragic end when he was fatally crushed in front of a theatre full of horrified spectators after a piece of scenery fell on him.
Yevgeny Kulesh, 38, di£d while appearing in Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “Sadko”.
The incident occurred on stage at Russia’s renowned Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
Medical staff were unable to save Yevgeny despite life-saving efforts after the incident.
As the opera’s scenery was being changed, Yevgeny became caught beneath the backdrop, which fatally crushed him while the show continued with the audience remaining completely unaware of the horror happening right in front of them.
Various sources report that the opera was “immediately stopped”, with Bolshoi Theatre officials asking that spectators vacate the auditorium, The BBC reports.
An audience member told Russian news outlet Ria.ru that she suddenly heard someone shouting for medical assistance and an ambulance, before declaring that someone had “got hit by the backdrop”.
The witness further disclosed that the orchestra suddenly ceased playing, and that “in less than a minute the curtain closed and the audience was asked to leave.”
Video footage of the devastating incident has surfaced online, showing cast members in complete distress while desperately urging Bolshoi staff to remove the backdrop from Yevgeny.
Moscow’s Investigative Committee stated in an official announcement that both the accident and the de@th of the performer were under investigation.
It has been reported that a factor in Yevgeny’s d£ath was that the actor made the dreadful error of moving in the wrong direction while the scenery was being lowered.
Yevgeny had worked with the Bolshoi Theatre since 2002.
